Ashlee Buzzard, mother of missing child Melodee Buzzard, will appear in court on Wednesday after she allegedly falsely imprisoned a man a month after her 9-year-old daughter's disappearance.

The Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office said the charge is not directly related to the search for the young girl. The victim said he had been helping in the search for Melodee when Ashlee held him against his will.

Melodee was first reported missing by staff from the Lompoc Unified School District on Oct. 14. They said she had not been seen since August, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office.

Lizabeth Meza, Melodee's paternal aunt, said she hired a private investigator to help find her niece. Meza said she has not seen her niece since 2021.

"She's a young gir

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