Mother of missing 9-year-old Calif. girl pleads not guilty to false imprisonment

The case of Ashlee Buzzard, who pleaded not guilty to false imprisonment, is intertwined with the ongoing search for her missing daughter, Melodee Buzzard. Reports indicate that Ashlee allegedly held an acquaintance captive when he arrived to help find Melodee. This incident raises concerns about the circumstances surrounding Melodee's disappearance, as her grandmother has claimed that Ashlee had previously attempted to isolate her daughter from the outside world. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office continues to investigate both the mother's actions and the child's whereabouts.