A Florida jury has found Mario Fernandez Saldana guilty of murder in the 2022 ambush killing of Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan.
Jurors on Wednesday convicted Fernandez Saldana, who is married to Bridegan’s ex-wife, on charges of first-degree murder and solicitation to commit a capital felony.
Fernandez Saldana was directed to appear back in court on Oct. 5, when a sentencing date is expected to be set.
Authorities said Bridegan, 33, was fatally shot at close range in February 2022 in Jacksonville Beach after he pulled over to remove a tire that had been placed in the middle of a dark roadway.
Mario Fernandez Saldana looks on during his trial at the Duval County Courthouse on Monday, Aug. 17, 2026, in Jacksonville, Florida. (Corey Perrine/The Florida Times-Union via AP, Pool)
Bridegan’s 2-year-old daughter was in the back seat of the vehicle when the shooting happened, but she was not hurt.
Prosecutors told the jury the tire was part of a calculated trap tied to a contentious custody dispute involving Bridegan’s ex-wife, Shanna Gardner, and her husband, Fernandez Saldana.
Mario Fernandez, right, was arrested for the murder of Jared Bridegan, left. He’s the second husband of Bridegan’s ex-wife, Shanna Gardner-Fernandez, far right. (GoFundMe/ Instagram)
Prosecutors allege the duo planned the hit by hiring Henry Tenon as the gunman. Tenon initially pleaded guilty before rescinding that plea.
Fernandez Saldana was arrested in March 2023, followed by Gardner’s arrest in August. Both were indicted on the same charges in Bridegan’s killing.
A judge ruled that Gardner and Fernandez Saldana would be tried separately with different juries.
An old booking photo of Henry Tenon who is charged with the Feb. 16 murder of Jared Bridegan. A family portrait of Jared and Kirsten Bridegan and their daughters Bexley and London. (Florida Department of Corrections/ Courtesy of Kirsten Bridegan)
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.
