New release of evidence in Jared Bridegan’s killing delays pre-trial court date for murder suspect

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The defense attorneys representing murder suspect Mario Fernandez-Saldana asked a judge on Tuesday to push back his pre-trial court date. That request was granted.

Fernandez-Saldana is the man accused in the 2022 murder-for-hire plot against local father Jared Bridegan in Jacksonville Beach.

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Action News Jax has learned that Fernandez-Saldana’s defense team has some new evidence to comb through.

While sitting in the courtroom, Action News Jax noticed the look of shock on everyone’s faces wondering what the new evidence could be.

Handcuffed and dressed in a green jumpsuit, Fernandez-Saldana appeared in court Tuesday morning.

Prosecutors charged him in the murder-for-hire plot of Bridegan, a St. Johns County father of 4. Bridegan was gunned down in front of his then two-year-old daughter after he got out of his car to move a tire out of the road.

Read: Jared Bridegan’s ex-wife’s new husband, accused in Bridegan’s murder, waives right to speedy trial

Cops say the tire was placed in the road on purpose to lure Bridegan to his death. It happened just minutes after Bridegan dropped off his twins from a weekly dinner date to his ex-wife’s house. His ex-wife is Shanna Gardner-Fernandez; she is married to Fernandez Saldana.

Gardner-Fernandez has been portrayed in tabloids as someone who played a part in Bridegan’s death. The former couple went through a nasty divorce in 2015 which led to years of a difficult custody battle over their twins.

“August 1st 9 a.m. The pre-trial date,” Judge London Kite said Tuesday morning.

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“Thank you, your honor, that’s all I have this morning. May I be excused?” Criminal Defense Attorney James Hill asked.

“Yes,” Kite answered.

Kite moved Fernandez Saldana’s pretrial date after one of his criminal defense attorneys said the state of Florida had new findings in the case that needed more time for review.

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“Just to briefly update the court, we did receive the state’s exhibit discovery yesterday. I also delivered a new external hard drive for the exchange of discovery since the discovery process is still ongoing your honor,” Hill said.

Police say Fernandez Saldana worked with Henry Tenon to plot Bridegan’s killing. Tenon already pleaded guilty to firing the gun that killed Bridegan on February 16, 2022. Fernandez Saldana is charged with first-degree murder, child abuse, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and solicitation to commit a capital felony.

Action News Jax will be present in the courtroom during the Aug. 1 court proceeding to bring you the most up-to-date information on this murder case.

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