A Florida man accused of plotting the murder of his wife’s ex-Microsoft executive seemed eerily calm when he was arrested — months after the couple went on vacation following the murder.
Mario Fernandez-Saldana, 35, and Shanna Gardner Fernandez, 36, have been charged with hiring a hit man to kill 33-year-old Jared Bridegan, who was executed last year in front of his small daughter in Jacksonville Beach.
Bodycam footage shows a relaxed Mario being handcuffed in March in Orange County, Florida, and asking detectives if he could contact his brother to make sure his dogs were being taken care of.
He was then placed in a patrol car where he engaged in a conversation with the officer, asking his age and reminiscing about beepers and when people should memorize phone numbers.
The footage is released after it emerges that Mario and Shanna went on vacation just five weeks after Jared’s murder, staying at a resort in Port St. Lucie.
Mario Fernandez-Saldana, 35, was calm when arrested in March for the 2022 murder-for-hire of Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan, 33
Jared was shot execution-style in front of his two-year-old daughter in Jacksonville Beach
Mario and Shanna went on vacation just five weeks after Jared’s murder, staying at a resort in Port St. Lucie
The lovelorn couple was seen along with Shanna and Jared’s children in photos posted by Shanna’s mother, paper company executive Shelli Gardner.
“During spring break, we drove with Shanna and her family to Club Med Sandpiper Bay, an all-inclusive resort, in Florida,” Shelli wrote in a since-deleted post.
“It reminded us of a cruise…only on land, and we had so much fun!”
Mario is accused of hiring 63-year-old Henry Tenon to shoot Jared as he was driving home after dropping off the kids he shared with Shanna. he pleaded not guilty.
Shanna, for her part, was charged with first-degree murder earlier this month and arrested in Washington state.
Her parents issued a statement after her arrest saying, “Words cannot accurately express the depth of our grief. Family is our top priority. We love our daughter and are focused on supporting her and our entire family as we help our grandchildren navigate this difficult and very confusing time.
The lovelorn couple was seen with Shanna and Jared’s children in photos posted by Shanna’s mother, paper company executive Shelli Gardner, and husband Sterling
Shanna was charged with first-degree murder earlier this month and arrested in Washington state. She is pictured with one of her children while Jared is on vacation
“In their interest and for all concerned, we caution against further speculation and ask for privacy while the legal process takes its course.”
Jared was shot dead after he stopped and got out of his car to remove a tire blocking the way on his way back after dropping the twins he shared with Shanna at her house.
He was shot several times at close range in what police described as an “ambush” and “targeted” attack.
At the time of his murder on February 16, 2022, Bridegan was embroiled in a very bitter custody battle with his ex-wife – the battle had raged almost unabated since their divorce in 2015 and centered on twins Liam and Abby, now 10.
Bridegan had repeatedly expressed discomfort with Fernandez’s presence in the twins’ lives and his behavior towards and around them.
Every Wednesday of the week, the non-custodial parent had a “date night” with the twins.
It was shortly after dropping his kids off at their mother’s house on one such date night that Bridegan, according to police, was lured out of his car by a band that was seen walking in the middle of a dimly lit, secluded section of the road in a quiet area. neighborhood in Jacksonville Beach was left behind. known as The Sanctuary.
Shanna’s new husband, Mario Saldana-Fernandez, was charged earlier this year and awaits trial
The Microsoft executive was found 2.2 miles from Shanna’s home after dropping the kids off on Feb. 16. It was on a quiet stretch of road, where there were no security cameras.
Henry Tenon has admitted that he was lying in wait ready to execute Bridegan when he stepped out to clear the obstacle from the road.
Hitman Henry Tenon confessed to the plot earlier this year
In the fallout from the tragedy, Bridegan’s widow Kirsten previously told DailyMail.com how her children and their half-siblings were “torn apart,” with the twins being taken across the country by their mother. originally from Utah and who lived in West Richland, Washington at the time of her arrest.
In an emotional interview, Kirsten, accompanied by her husband’s brother Adam, 36, told DailyMail.com of her “satisfaction” with Shanna’s arrest.
“It’s satisfying to know that the person I think was the driving force behind this isn’t getting the privileges she supposedly took from Jared,” she said.
“My personal thought is that I trust that (the prosecutors) will make the best decision for the case and if that is the death penalty, then we support that.”
Florida State Attorney Melissa Nelson made it clear Thursday when she announced the arrest of Gardner Fernandez at a press conference that she will seek the death penalty.