JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Mario Fernandez-Saldana was arraigned Tuesday morning for the murder of Jared Bridegan. His attorney informed the court that he has chosen to plea not guilty on all charges.
In addition to murder charges, he is also facing child abuse charges, because Bridegan was killed in front of his 2-year-old daughter, Bexley.
Fernandez-Saldana is married to Jared Bridegan’s ex-wife, Shanna Gardner-Fernandez. She has not been charged in the case, but both arrest warrants note the couple's "highly acrimonious divorce," something also mentioned by prosecutors when they announced Fernandez Saldana's arrest.
Bridegan's co-defendant, Henry Tenon, 62, confessed to his involvement in the murder in March. He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.
Bridegan's killing was "pre-planned," according to police. The night of his death, he stopped to move a tire out of the road; he was then shot multiple times, at close range. The tire is believed to have been intentionally placed in the road to lure him out of his car.
Ferndanez-Saldana's next court date is May 3.