A man was charged on Thursday for first-degree murder in the death of Jared Bridegan, a father of four who was shot to death in front of his 2-year-old child in February 2022. Prosecutors said Mario Fernandez Saldana was charged by a grand jury Thursday morning and arrested in Kissimmee, Florida.

The arrest came hours after a man previously charged in Bridegan’s killing, Henry Tenon, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder with a weapon in the crime. Under his plea agreement, Tenon said he will testify against those who worked with him in Bridegan’s murder, according to State Attorney Melissa Nelson.

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Bridegan had noticed a tire in the road and pulled over to remove it when he was gunned down in what police called a planned ambush. His daughter Bexley was in the backseat and alone in the car for a few minutes until a passerby noticed her father dead on the road and called 911.

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Who is Mario Fernandez Saldana?

Mario Fernandez Saldana is the husband of murdered Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan’s ex-wife. He is married to Shanna Gardner-Fernandez, according to First Coast News.

Gardner-Fernandez and Bridegan shared twins. The couple divorced in 2016 but they continued to battle over custody of their 10-year-old twins and finances until his death.

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Fernandez Saldana was arrested without incident in Orlando before he was transported to the Orange County Jail. He faces charges of first-degree murder including conspiracy to commit murder, solicitation to commit a capital felony, and child abuse, according to the indictment.

Gardner-Fernandez does not face any charges in the case but felt compelled to speak out after what she called ‘sensationalistic media coverage and harassment’ related to Bridegan’s murder.

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During a press conference Thursday, State Attorney Nelson said “this is an active and ongoing investigation.”

Fernandez does not have a criminal record, but a police report filed shortly after he and Shanna married shows that he was the subject of an investigation into animal cruelty resulting in death.