16 & PREGNANT Joshua Rendon facing attempted murder of a police officer charge and more

16 and Pregnant Season 1 dad Joshua Rendon is currently facing multiple charges, including attempted murder of a peace officer, after leading police on a chase while driving a stolen car early last year.

Here is the press release from the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office immediately following Josh’s arrest:

Man Arrested for Attempted Murder of a Peace Officer

On March 6, 2021, at approximately 5:30 p.m., investigators with the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office Strategic Enforcement Unit located an occupied stolen vehicle in a parking lot at West Elizabeth Street and South Taft Hill Road in Fort Collins. Investigators saw four people inside the vehicle and followed it as it drove to an apartment complex parking lot in the 1000 block of Hobbit Street.

Deputies used a vehicle pinch maneuver by turning on their emergency lights and made contact with the front and rear bumpers of the suspect vehicle with their vehicles. This technique is used in high risk incidents with hopes of preventing the suspect’s escape and a vehicle pursuit. The suspect vehicle reversed into a patrol vehicle almost running over a deputy. The suspect then drove forward into the other patrol vehicle and was able to speed away over a retaining wall and onto the street. Deputies pursued the vehicle and immediately terminated the pursuit because of the erratic driving of the suspect.

The suspect vehicle was seen again a short time later and deputies pursued the vehicle. Additional deputies and investigators responded to the area to assist. The suspect drove the stolen vehicle directly at two LCSO vehicles and narrowly missed hitting them head on. A deputy then used the Precision Immobilization Technique (PIT maneuver) to stop the vehicle and it rolled over and crashed near West Horsetooth Road and Goodell Lane.

The driver was ejected from the vehicle and fled on foot into a field. He was quickly found by deputies in the backyard of a residence. The suspect was taken into custody and identified as Joshua Joseph Rendon (03/18/1991), a transient in the Fort Collins area. He was transported to a local hospital for treatment of minor injuries sustained during the rollover crash. When released, Rendon will be booked into the Larimer County Jail on the following allegations.

Attempted 1st Degree Murder of Peace Officer (F2)
Attempted 2nd Degree Assault on a Peace Officer (F5)
Aggravated Motor Vehicle Theft (F5)
Theft of Motor Vehicle Parts (M1)
Vehicular Eluding (F5)
Criminal Mischief (F5)
2nd Degree Criminal Trespass (M3)
Resisting Arrest (M2)
Driving Under Suspension
Reckless Endangerment (M3)
Drove Without Seatbelt
Criminal Possession of an ID Document (M1)

A second adult male was the only other occupant in the vehicle when it crashed. He reported the other two people in the car were dropped off after the suspect fled the apartment complex. He was transported to a local hospital for treatment of minor injuries and was not arrested.

West Horsetooth Road was closed between South Taft Hill Road and Seneca Street for about three and a half hours for the crash investigation.

The charges are merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.

Joshua Rendon Case Update

According to court records, Josh was eventually charged with just seven of the charges listed above. Here are the current charges pending against him:

Attempted 1st Degree Murder of Peace Officer (F2)
Vehicular Eluding (F5)
Aggravated Motor Vehicle Theft (F5)
Criminal Mischief (F5)
Driving Under Suspension
Criminal Possession of an ID Document (M1)
Theft of Motor Vehicle Parts (M1)

Prosecutors are also seeking a sentence enhancement due to the use of a deadly weapon in a violent crime.

Josh is still in custody in the Larimer County Jail with his bond set at $500,000. He is scheduled for an arraignment hearing on March 31.

#16andPregnant Season 1 dad Joshua Rendon was sentenced last month stemming from a 2021 arrest that initially included a charge of attempted murder of a police officer. Josh's estimated mandatory release date is 01/07/2034 https://t.co/EjNkgBvp62

— Starcasm (@starcasm) February 7, 2023

Josh Rendon criminal history

Josh has an extensive criminal history that dates all the way back to September of 2011. Josh and his 16 and Pregnant co-star Ebony Jackson were both arrested, and Child Protective Services took their two-year-old daughter Jocelyn away, due to deplorable living conditions.

Here are some disturbing details from the police report:

During the search detectives located approximately 1 gram of synthetic marijuana along with several empty packages of synthetic marijuana. Paraphernalia in the form of a variety of smoking devices (pipes) and deplorable conditions in the house.

Every room inside the residence had human and dog feces on the floor, walls, and clothing. The house was full of flies and in some areas, maggots. Animal control was called to retrieve 3 dogs that had been inside the house.

Jacksonville, Arkansas police later released four photos taken inside the home.

Josh was eventually kicked out of the Air Force, and Ebony checked herself into rehab multiple times due to her drug addiction issues. Josh and Ebony had another child together in 2012, but split up the following year. They officially divorced in 2016.

Josh has lived in Colorado for some time, and has accumulated a lengthy rap sheet that includes arrests for drug possession, theft, and more.

Here’s a comment left by a local man on Josh’s Facebook wall just a few days after his arrest:

I’m a single father of 3 kids that lost my job due to the pandemic. All I had left was my truck and my tools and I started my own company. You came in my driveway and stole my truck…. my tools… my wallet… everything I needed to provide for my family. Your a piece of sh*t and I hope you rot in jail. I’ll never forgive you. Your careless action set my family back more then anyone could understand and karma is going to take wrath on your pathetic excuse of a soul. F*** you

Ebony Jackson Update

Ebony moved on from Josh and welcomed her third daughter with a new man in 2015.

Ebony has continued to have struggles, but they don’t appear to be legal ones. She was involved in a serious car accident in June of 2021. Here’s how she described it on Instagram:

Thank the lord we are safe after an extremely dangerous accident due to debris from a TRUCK!! We went airborne, flipped the car 4 times. Little one is good we have minor injuries by the grace of God. We crawled out of it after we landed upside down. We could of lost our lives but our car, and the lord above took care of us, the first responders of Hays kansas we thank you as well for being so kind and amazing. We are holding each other a little tighter this evening. #infiniti Thank you @infinitiusa

In addition to the car wreck, Ebony also suffers from depression and is epileptic. She returned to work last month for the first time in over a year after injuring herself during a seizure. “I fell down a flight of stairs when I had my seizure and ended up with a TBI from it and was unconscious for 4 days,” Ebony revealed on Instagram.

Ebony’s youngest daughter will be seven years old in June. It’s unclear what the custody situation is for her two older daughters that she had with Josh.

Asa Hawks is a writer and editor for Starcasm. You can contact Asa via Twitter, Facebook, or email at starcasmtips(at)yahoo.com