Jared Bridegan murder case: Who is Mario Fernandez Saldana? 2nd Suspect arrested

On Wednesday, Mario Fernandez Saldana was arrested in central Florida on several charges, including first-degree murder in connection with the death of Jared Bridegan. Let’s see about the Jared Bridegan murder case in detail.

Jared Bridegan murder case:

Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan, 33, was a father of four. He had two kids from his first marriage to Jacksonville Beach resident Shanna Gardner-Fernandez, and two more from his second marriage to St. Augustine resident Kirsten Bridegan.

Jared Bridegan (The JacksonVille Beach Police Department)

Jared Bridegan was returning to his home in St. Augustine on Feb. 16, 2022 evening after dropping off his 9-year-old twin son and daughter at his ex-housewife’s on Jacksonville Beach. He stopped due to a tyre on the road close to The Sanctuary neighborhood’s exit while his 2-year-old daughter was in the vehicle. He was shot many times while allegedly trying to relocate the tyre in what the police consider to be a planned attack. His daughter was unharmed and still in the backseat of his car, and the warning lights were still glowing. Incentives for information leading to the execution’s author immediately reached $55,000. It quickly attracted the attention of the media and turned into a major whodunit.

First Suspect : Who is Henry Arthur Tenon?

Henry Arthur Tenon, then 61, was arrested on charges of conspiracy to commit murder, second-degree murder with a weapon, accessory after the fact to a capital offence, and child abuse on January 25, 2023, according to Jacksonville Beach Police Department Chief Gene Paul Smith and State Attorney Melissa Nelson. On March 16, Tenon entered a guilty plea and consented to testify against Mario Fernandez Saldana, who had been detained in Orlando that day. Jared Bridegan’s ex-34-year-old wife’s spouse is accused of soliciting his first-degree murder, a capital offence, child abuse, and conspiracy to commit murder.

First Suspect : Henry Arthur Tenon (First Coast News)

According to jail records, Tenon had nine minor offence charges in Jacksonville. He was already jailed and awaiting trial for charges of having a weapon in their possession as a criminal and driving after having had their license suspended or revoked three times or more as of August 18. According to the arrest record, a traffic stop revealed a shotgun in the trunk of the vehicle. The State Attorney’s Office confirmed that he had rented a house from Fernandez Saldana in the 5200 block of Potomac Avenue.

State Attorney Melissa Nelson said,

“Our investigation has revealed a single link between Jared Bridegan and Henry Tenon: That is Mario Fernandez Saldana,” 

“As part of Tenon’s plea agreement with the state of Florida, he has agreed to testify truthfully against those he worked with to murder Jared Bridegan.”

Second Suspect : Who is Mario Fernandez Saldana?

In Orlando, at around 9:30 a.m., authorities arrested Fernandez Saldana without incident, according to Bob Bryson, a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

Bryson said,

“The operation was conducted with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and Jacksonville Beach Police Department and it is a solid example of great collaborative police work.”

The 34-year-old Mario Fernandez Saldana is accused with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, solicitation to commit a capital offence, and child abuse, according to Nelson.

Second Suspect : Mario Fernandez Saldana (First Coast News)

Tenon’s bank records dated October 14, 2022, which indicated three handwritten checks from Fernandez Saldana, are included in an arrest request. Also, phone records revealed 35 phone interactions between Tenon and Fernandez Saldana in February, 30 contacts in March, and 5 to 9 contacts each in May and June.

According to Nelson, the police were aware that Tenon, who had rented a house from Fernandez Saldana, wasn’t acting alone. He confirmed that in his guilty plea and added to the case’s evidence. She omitted to mention whether additional arrests were anticipated or whether Shanna Gardner-Fernandez, who has now relocated to Washington and goes by Gardner, would have been aware of the plot. Bridegan’s passing shocked Gardner, who stated to the Times-Union in late June that it “didn’t seem real.” Also, she claimed that she didn’t “see any value in airing our dirty laundry” regarding their 2015 divorce, which sparked ongoing litigation despite both of them getting remarried.

According to Nelson, there will be limited information and the inquiry is still ongoing. She refused to reveal her motivation, but an arrest warrant indicates “the investigation into Bridegan’s background revealed a highly acrimonious divorce from his ex-wife, Shanna Gardner, and a contentious relationship with both Gardner and Fernandez Saldana.”

Jared Bridegan’s widow Statement :’Still angry’

The marriage between Gardner and Bridegan ended in divorce in 2015. They had equal custody of a boy and daughter who are twins before the shooting. After their messy divorce and ongoing legal disputes, Kirsten Bridegan, Jared’s widow, expressed mistrust for his ex-wife. On Thursday, she congratulated everyone for their arduous work on the case.

Here’s what she said,

In the presence of her family, friends, and members of the law, Kirsten Bridegan responds to the arrest of Marlo Fernandez Saldana on March 16, 2023, in connection with the shooting death of her husband Jared on Jacksonville Beach. (First Coast News)

She had previously pleaded Tenon, who she said she didn’t know, to provide information to set things right.

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