Florida Jury Convicts Husband of Microsoft Executive in Roadside Ambush Murder

A Florida jury has convicted Mario Fernandez Saldana of first-degree murder and solicitation to commit a capital felony in the 2022 ambush killing of Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan.

The shooting occurred on February 16, 2022, at Jacksonville Beach after Bridegan stopped his car to move a tire that was in the middle of the road. His 2-year-old daughter was sitting in the back seat but was uninjured.

Prosecutors argued that the scene was a deliberate set-up stemming from a bitter custody battle between Bridegan's ex-wife Shanna Gardner and her husband, Fernandez Saldana. The duo allegedly hired Henry Tenon as the gunman, who initially pleaded guilty before rescinding his 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.