Mother of 9-year-old California girl who vanished during road trip is arrested

The mother of 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard, who vanished during a road trip last month, was arrested Friday on a charge unrelated to the disappearance of the California girl, authorities said

The mother of 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard, who vanished during a road trip last month, was arrested Friday on a charge unrelated to the disappearance of the California girl, authorities said.

Ashlee Buzzard, 40, is accused of holding a person against their will and was taken into custody on suspicion of false imprisonment, a felony, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Additional details about the allegations would not be made available for now, it said.

"Detectives learned of a recent incident where Ashlee prevented a victim from leaving a location, against their will which constitutes false imprisonment," the sheriff's office said. "This crime is not connected to the ongoing search for Melodee, however, detectives are unable to fully outline the crime as it would impede their ongoing investigation."

Her bail was expected to be set at $100,000, according to the sheriff’s office.