A second person has been arrested and charged with the murder of Jared Bridegan, a former Microsoft executive who was shot and killed in the middle of a Jacksonville Beach street last year in what police said was a planned attack.
Mario Fernandez Saldana, the husband of Bridegan’s ex-wife, was arrested Thursday in central Florida without any problems, authorities said at a press conference. A grand jury has since charged him with several crimes, including first-degree murder, which is a capital crime.
Melissa Nelson, the state attorney, wouldn’t say why she thought Fernandez Saldana was involved. She said she couldn’t say much because the investigation was still going on. She did confirm that he used to be Henry Tenon’s landlord. Tenon was arrested in January on suspicion of pulling the trigger.
Nelson said when Tenon was arrested that they knew he “did not act alone.”
Nelson stated that this friendship was the “only connection” between Tenon and Bridegan.
Fernandez Saldana was additionally charged with first-degree murder conspiracy, solicitation of a capital offence, and child abuse. He will be extradited to the county of Duval.
Thursday’s public release of an arrest warrant indicates that Fernandez Saldana wrote three checks to Tenon. The warrant, which was highly redacted, failed to define the value or purpose of the checks. Last October, the authorities uncovered them while investigating Tenon’s financial documents.
According to the request, phone data revealed that Tenon and Fernandez Saldana had 35 “phone interactions” in February 2022, the month Bridegan was murdered, and dozens more between March and June 2022.
Tenon pleaded guilty to second-degree murder with a dangerous weapon on Thursday and has committed to “truthfully testify against others he collaborated with to murder Jared Bridegan,” according to Nelson.
Police vowed to continue investigating the homicide, but they did not specify if further suspects exist.
Bridegan, a 33-year-old father of four, was driving in Jacksonville Beach with his 2-year-old daughter on February 16, 2022, when he encountered a tyre “deliberately” blocking his route, according to Jacksonville Beach Police Chief Gene Paul Smith. After he exited the vehicle, he was “executed in cold blood,” according to Smith.
Bridegan was driving home after dropping off his ex-twins wife’s when he encountered the tyre and was shot, according to Smith.
Bridegan had two children with his wife, Kirsten Bridegan, including a 2-year-old son and a younger daughter who was at home with his wife at the incident.
Kirsten Bridegan stated during Thursday’s press briefing, “We have immense relief knowing that two of those responsible for the murder of my husband are behind bars and no longer pose a threat to our family.” “We are also still outraged that they were allowed to go free while we were forced to face the reality that Jared would not be around for any future memories, vacations, or delicate moments with our children.”