Crime
Ashlee Buzzard Arrested on Unrelated Charges as Search Continues for Her Missing 9-Year-Old Daughter Melodee Buzzard
Authorities in Santa Barbara County confirmed that Ashlee Buzzard, the mother of missing 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard, was taken into custody on Friday amid the ongoing investigation into her daughter’s disappearance.
Witnesses observed Buzzard being handcuffed and escorted by Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office personnel from her Vandenberg Village residence into a waiting patrol vehicle.
According to officials, Buzzard’s arrest stems from an unrelated felony charge of false imprisonment.
Investigators allege that she had unlawfully restrained another individual, preventing them from leaving a location against their will.
The Sheriff’s Office has not released further details regarding that separate incident, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation.
While Buzzard remains in custody, law enforcement emphasized that their primary focus continues to be the search for Melodee, who has been missing since mid-October.
Detectives began investigating Melodee’s disappearance on October 14, after the Lompoc Unified School District reported her prolonged absence from classes.
Authorities have since narrowed the timeline of interest to October 9–10, when Ashlee and Melodee were reportedly traveling together on a multi-state road trip to Nebraska.
Surveillance footage from October 9 shows Melodee near the Colorado–Utah border. However, when Ashlee returned home to California the following day, Melodee was no longer with her.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office continues to treat the case as an active missing person investigation and urges anyone with information regarding Melodee’s whereabouts to come forward.
📞 Detectives Line: (805) 681-4150
📞 Anonymous Tip Line: (805) 681-4171
Authorities stress that any piece of information, no matter how small, could be crucial in helping bring Melodee home safely.
Crime
Texas Teachers Britney Henshaw and Sydney Madill Caught on Video Injuring 5-Year-Old Autistic Boy
BRAZORIA COUNTY, Texas — Two elementary school teachers have been terminated after surveillance footage surfaced showing them physically assaulting a 5-year-old nonverbal autistic student at Wild Peach Elementary School in Columbia-Brazoria Independent School District.
The educators, identified as Britney Henshaw and Sydney Madill, were captured on camera during two separate incidents on October 30.
According to school officials, both have since been fired, but the child’s mother, Guadalupe Rodriguez, says termination is not enough — she is demanding full criminal accountability.
Surveillance video from the classroom reportedly shows one teacher violently slamming the boy to the floor.
Less than an hour earlier, another clip appears to show the same teacher dropping him.
A separate video later in the day shows a different teacher kicking the child’s injured ankle while attempting to force him to walk, despite visible signs of pain.
Rodriguez described the experience of watching the footage as “devastating,” saying her son’s disability made the abuse even more disturbing.
“This is trauma that my son and I will carry forever,” Rodriguez said. “I dropped to my knees and cried. I never expected to see my son treated that way.”
She noticed something was wrong when her son returned home limping that afternoon. Concerned, she immediately took him to urgent care, where doctors diagnosed him with a fractured and sprained ankle.
Rodriguez returned to the school the next day demanding answers. When the principal allowed her to review surveillance footage, she discovered multiple incidents showing her son being mistreated and ignored.
“My son was showing signs of distress, and not one teacher stopped to check on him,” she said. “Nobody cared.”
In a letter to parents, Wild Peach Elementary’s principal confirmed that the incident had been reported to both the Texas Education Agency and the Columbia-Brazoria ISD Police Department, which has referred the case to the Brazoria County District Attorney’s Office for review.
Although both teachers have been terminated, Rodriguez says that isn’t enough.
“Part of me is relieved, but I’m not satisfied,” she said. “They’re still walking free.”
Her son has not returned to Wild Peach Elementary since the incident, and Rodriguez says she is now consulting with attorneys to explore legal action.
The Brazoria County District Attorney’s Office has not yet confirmed whether criminal charges will be filed.