Crime alert. I'm Nancy Grace, breaking crime news now. Straight out to Nicole Parton for the latest.

Authorities in California have arrested the mother of a missing nine-year-old girl, Melody Buzzard,

who was last seen in early October. The arrest, however, is not directly related to the child's

disappearance. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office confirmed that

40-year-old Ashley Buzzard was taken into custody Friday on a felony charge of false imprisonment.

A witness captured video of law enforcement leading Buzzard away from a residence.

According to investigators, she allegedly prevented a victim from leaving a location against their will.

While officials say this incident is unrelated to her daughter's disappearance,

they're withholding further details to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation.

Melody Buzzard was last seen on a surveillance video during a road trip with her mother.

Authorities believe the pair traveled as far as Nebraska.

In a troubling twist, the rental car they were using reportedly had its license plate swapped

an apparent attempt to avoid detection.

The indications are that the license plate was switched to avoid detection.

We don't have any other plausible reason for why Ashley would have switched the plates.

Ashley Buzzard is currently being held at the Northern Branch jail in Santa Barbara County

with a bail set at $100,000. Despite the arrest, the sheriff's office emphasized that their primary focus

remains on locating Melody and ensuring her safety. The child is considered at risk,

and the FBI's Los Angeles field office is now assisting in the search. On Thursday,

investigators released new video footage showing Ashley and Melody at a car rental

location on October 7th. Both were seen wearing wigs and officials believe Ashley changed

her appearance multiple times during the trip, possibly to avoid recognition. The investigation

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