Husband of ex-wife arrested in murder of former Microsoft executive in Florida, father of four

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(JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla.) — A second person has been arrested and charged in 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 authorities described as a targeted ambush.

Mario Fernandez Saldana, the husband of Bridegan’s ex-wife, was arrested Wednesday in central Florida without incident, authorities announced at a press conference. He has since been indicted by a grand jury on multiple charges, including first-degree murder, a capital felony.

State Attorney Melissa Nelson declined to reveal the motive behind Fernandez Saldana’s alleged involvement, saying she was limited in what she could share due to the ongoing investigation. She did confirm that he was the former landlord of Henry Tenon, the man arrested in January for allegedly pulling the trigger.

Nelson said that relationship was the “single link” tying Tenon to Bridegan.

Fernandez Saldana was also charged with conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, solicitation to commit a capital felony and child abuse. He will be extradited to Duval County.

Authorities pledged to continue investigating the murder but did not say if there are additional suspects.

Bridegan, 33, was driving with his then-2-year-old daughter in Jacksonville Beach on Feb. 16, 2022, when he came upon a tire blocking his path, police said. When he stepped out of the car he was “gunned down in cold blood,” Jacksonville Beach Police Chief Gene Paul Smith said.

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