"You need to tell them where the baby is" - Melodee Buzzard's grandmother begs her daughter Ashlee to reveal missing 9-year-old's whereabouts

9-year-old Melodee Buzzard was reported missing earlier last month, after her mother, Ashlee, allegedly took her away. Now, Melodee's maternal grandmother, Lori Miranda, has begged Ashlee to reveal the location of the child. Miranda said that she was shocked and numb when she saw the latest photo of Melodee and Ashlee.

Miranda additionally said,

"This is just so shocking to me that my granddaughter is dressed in a disguise… This is just so overwhelming. It's just so really scary."

She further pleaded to Ashlee and said,

"You need to tell them where the baby is. You need to tell them who's setting all these things up for you. I know you're not doing it."

The grandmother further claimed that there were chances that Ashlee and Melodee came across people that Miranda and Ashlee's dad knew. About three weeks since the disappearance, new details have been released by authorities. Through surveillance footage, authorities noticed the mother-daughter duo at a car rental business in Lompoc.

The image of the two was shared by the sheriff's office on Monday, and cops claim that they seemingly had wigs on. According to reports, Ashlee returned home in Vandenberg Village on October 10 without Melodee Buzzard, and the latter's whereabouts have been unknown since then. Using the footage, authorities have traced a route that Ashlee possibly had chosen.

According to them, the route was from California through Utah, northwest Arizona, and Nevada.

Authorities have claimed that Melodee Buzzard's mother, Ashlee, has been quite uncooperative during the investigation

Since the investigation into Melodee Buzzard's disappearance started last month, the authorities have looked into Ashlee as well. Reports suggested that she was the one who was with Melodee prior to her disappearance. However, according to law enforcement officials, Ashlee has not been cooperative throughout the investigation.

According to cops, the 9-year-old girl was last seen on surveillance footage "in the region between the Colorado–Utah border." On October 15, authorities executed a warrant to search Ashlee's property; however, no trace of Melodee could be found. According to Fox News, authorities further claimed that Ashlee also could not confirm her daughter's welfare.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office released a statement on Monday, according to which,

"The New York plate seen on the car does not belong to the vehicle or to Ashlee. Investigators believe it was used as a false or switched plate to avoid detection."

Lori Miranda has previously said that she first learned about her granddaughter's disappearance when authorities called her. KSBY reported that Miranda has talked about a previous incident in which authorities told her that they were taking Melodee to CPS and Ashlee to the hospital. 

According to Fox LA, authorities have considered that Melodee Buzzard is at risk. She has been described as being 4'6" tall and weighing 60 lbs with brown eyes and curly hair. Law enforcement officials have also urged the public to reach out to them if they had any contact with either Melodee or Ashlee, particularly from October 9 to 10.

Detectives can be contacted on 805-681-4150. People can also choose to drop anonymous tips by contacting authorities at 805-681-4171.