Mom of 9-Year-Old Melodee Buzzard Refusing to Cooperate with Police as Child Remains Missing By Samira Asma-Sadeque

Authorities in California believe 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard was with her mother as recently as Oct. 7 — a week before she was reported missing.

This comes after investigators previously said the “at-risk” girl hadn’t been seen in a year, PEOPLE previously reported.

The investigation into Melodee’s disappearance began Tuesday, Oct. 14 after a local school reported the child’s “prolonged absence,” the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement last week.

When police arrived at her Lompoc, Calif. residence, they only found her mother, Ashlee Buzzard, who provided “no clear explanation” about the child’s whereabouts, per the statement.

Now, as the investigation enters its second week, Ashlee is refusing to cooperate with authorities, the sheriff’s office said in an updated statement on Monday, Oct. 20.

Per the update, investigators allege they uncovered evidence that indicates Melodee was with her mother as recently as Oct. 7, and that the pair were in a rented vehicle they believe traveled as far as Nebraska. The sheriff’s office had previously said the last verified contact with Melodee took place a year ago, and the most recent photo of the child was taken two years ago, PEOPLE previously reported.

The vehicle is no longer believed to be in Ashlee’s possession.

The FBI has now joined the investigation, according to KSBY.

Melodee was reported missing by the Lompoc Unified School District when she failed to pick up assignments following her August enrollment in an independent learning program at the school, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing a statement from the school.

The girl had been homeschooled for several years, the sheriff’s office told the outlet.

Melodee’s extended family has expressed concerns about her wellbeing, claiming Ashlee has a long history of mental illness and has cut off the family for years, per the Times.

“Ashlee is mentally unstable and my mom tried to get custody or at least grandparent rights to visit Melodee because [Ashlee] wasn’t letting our side of the family see her,” Vicky Shade, Melodee’s aunt, told the outlet.

Shade’s brother, Rubiell Meza, is Melodee’s father; he died in a motorcycle accident shortly after the child was born, Shade said.

The local community and Melodee’s extended family are rallying together to find her and gathered outside her home on Sunday, Oct. 19, holding “Where is Melodee?” signs, KSBY reported.

“We’re all looking for answers, but you know, we’re showing up today so that way, you know, [Ashlee] knows we care,” Corinna Meza, Melodee’s half-sister, told the outlet, adding that they are “here for Melodee and hopefully [Ashlee] will come out and tell us where she’s at.”

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Anyone with information on Melodee’s whereabouts, or anyone who has had contact with Ashlee since Oct. 7, is urged to contact  Sheriff’s Criminal Investigations Division at (805) 681-4150. Anonymous tips can be provided via the tip line at (805) 681-4171 or online at https://www.sbsheriff.org/home/anonymous-tip/.