Melodee’s Paternal Grandmother Announces Candlelight Vigil
Jarrod Zinn
SANTA MARIA / LOMPOC, Calif. (KEYT) – We are learning more about the extended family of the 9-year-old girl from Vandenberg Village who was reported missing a week ago today.
Law enforcement first made contact with Melodee’s paternal grandmother last Thursday to inform her the 9-year-old girl was missing, when her grandmother hadn’t seen her in years.
When she was six months old, Melodee’s father died in a motorcycle accident.
His name was Rolando Rubiell “Pinoy” Meza.
His mother, Melodee’s paternal grandmother Lilly Denes, is a sales executive for KEYT and Telemundo.
“He was a really good dad, very good son,” says Lilly. “We used to argue a little bit like every mother, but he was a very good son. Loved his daughter.”
With a candlelight vigil this Friday, Melodee’s family on her father Rubiell’s side seeks to keep attention on the case until Melodee is found.
“I think everybody’s looking and they’ll find her,” she says. “I just hope in the Lord that they find her soon, because this is a lot of a lot of pain for us.”
She also has requested that from now on her missing granddaughter be referred to as Melodee Buzzard-Meza.
(UPDATED 10/22) She clarifies to us that some time after Rubiell died, Melodee had been placed in Lilly’s custody, but that Ashlee took Melodee from the school she had been attending at the time and left Santa Barbara county. Lilly hasn’t seen her granddaughter since.
“I didn’t even know she lived there,” she says. “She’s been hiding from us, especially from me, because I’m the grandma and they gave it to us. So she’s always been scared that I’m going to go and just grab her and take her and get a lawyer and fight with her. I don’t want to fight.”
She is welcoming the whole community to Friday’s vigil.
“We’re going to do a vigil, candle light for prayers for my baby to come home. Please, if you’re watching this come and join us. I really appreciate it, my family will, we’re all going to be there and we have family coming from out of town for to pray for our baby. So please join us if you can. Thank you.”
Santa Barbara County Sheriffs and the FBI continue to ask the public’s help in locating Melodee, who may have been driven by her mother Ashlee as far away as Nebraska.
If you have seen Melodee or have any information, you can call he Sheriff’s Criminal Investigations Division (805) 681-4150. Those wishing to remain anonymous can provide information through the tip line at (805) 681-4171 or online at https://www.sbsheriff.org/home/anonymous-tip/.
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