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Mario Fernandez Saldana faces first-degree murder trial for arranging the targeted ambush of Jared Bridegan

Mario Fernandez Saldana is on trial in Duval County court for first-degree murder and solicitation of murder after allegedly arranging the death of Jared Bridegan. The 33-year-old Microsoft design manager was killed in a 2022 targeted ambush in Jacksonville Beach, where he was shot at point-blank range after stopping to remove a tire from the road. Prosecutors allege the murder was a monthslong murder-for-hire plot hatched by Bridegan's ex-wife, Shanna Gardner, and Fernandez Saldana. The couple reportedly sought to eliminate Bridegan to gain full control over their children and resolve years of acrimony following their 2015 divorce. While Fernandez Saldana is the first to stand trial, Shanna Gardner faces her own trial in September. The alleged gunman, Henry Tenon, withdrew his guilty plea and will proceed to a trial in 2027. Defense attorney James Hill argues that Fernandez Saldana had no motive to flee and that the payments made to Tenon were for work rather than murder. The prosecution presented evidence of a bitter relationship between Bridegan and Gardner, highlighting the fact that the victim had no obvious enemies until the murder occurred.

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