JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Prosecutors announced Wednesday that they will seek the death penalty against Mario Fernandez if he is convicted of the murder of his wife’s ex-husband, 33-year-old Jared Bridegan.
Fernandez, 34, is accused of orchestrating the murder conspiracy that ended with the death of the St. Johns County father of four.
Florida law says prosecutors have 45 business days from the day of an indictment to determine if they will seek the death penalty. That deadline was approaching, and prosecutors opted to file the notice during a scheduled court hearing Wednesday.
Mario Fernandez was arrested in March and charged with first-degree murder with a weapon, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, solicitation to commit a capital felony and child abuse in connection with the shooting death of Bridegan.
When the prosecutor read the death penalty filing out loud to the court on Wednesday, she said Bridegan was murdered for financial gain. Prior to that revelation, there had been no mention of a possible motive or any previous talk about money being a factor.
Fernandez did not react and appeared stoic in court Wednesday. He and his attorneys had already received notice before the hearing that the state would pursue the death penalty.
Bridegan’s family said Wednesday was another step in their push toward justice. His widow, Kirsten, was in the courtroom when prosecutors made the announcement about seeking the death penalty if Fernandez is convicted.
She released a statement on social media after the hearing:
“The announcement today is another significant step toward justice. The knowledge that the State (is) pursuing the death penalty for Mario Fernandez Saldana is welcome news because it signifies determination and the relentless pursuit of justice for Jared, our family, and the community. We aren’t backing down to those involved in the heinous, cold-blooded murder of my husband in front of our daughter.
I take comfort knowing (Jared’s children from his previous marriage) are not living with Mario and I hope all evil surrounding them and our family will be removed in due time.
Jared is loved and missed more than words can express and we deeply feel his loss. While we know he is gone, we take comfort in knowing the prosecution team and law enforcement remain unrelenting in their efforts and are committed to holding everyone involved in Jared’s murder accountable. They continue to have our support and gratitude.”
Fernandez will be in court again on June 20. A new attorney, Frank Tassone, has joined Fernandez’s defense team. he is qualified to defend death penalty cases.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges against him when he was arraigned last month. Prosecutors have said they are not offering him a plea deal in the case.
Bridegan was shot and killed in Jacksonville Beach in February of last year.
He had just dropped off his two oldest children at his ex-wife’s home in Jacksonville Beach when he stopped to remove a tire from the roadway and was ambushed, investigators say.
He was shot multiple times while his 2-year-old daughter was still strapped in her car seat a few feet away. Her presence prompted the felony child abuse charge against Fernandez.
According to his indictment, Fernandez wrote three checks to the confessed gunman, Henry Tenon.
Fernandez had been Tenon’s landlord, and investigators say phone records revealed more than 70 calls between the men before and after Bridegan’s murder.
Tenon pleaded guilty to second-degree murder for killing Bridegan and has agreed to testify against Fernandez and anyone else who might be charged. Tenon faces a minimum of 15 years in prison as part of the plea agreement.
Curtis Fallgatter, a defense attorney not affiliated with the case who was once a federal prosecutor, said having the death penalty as a possible punishment for Fernandez could be a bargaining chip for prosecutors.
“The short version is most defendants are going to want to trade off a death penalty for a life sentence because it’s so much different,” Fallgatter said. “You can spend your life, you can read books, you can communicate, you can learn things, you can exercise, but death is life is over. So that’s a strong incentive for them to cooperate, even if they don’t get any better than a life sentence.”
Fallgatter said it’s not unusual to have one co-conspirator have the death penalty on the table and the other not.
“This is the natural way of things with criminal cases,” he said. “The first person to come down always gets the best deal. And, of course, I doubt he made much money doing it. Yes, he pulled the trigger, but he wouldn’t ever have done it but for him having been hired to do it.”
There’s been a lot of attention on Fernandez’s wife, who was Bridegan’s ex-wife. She has not been charged and maintains her innocence.