ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – Florida’s attorney general returned to St. Johns County on Monday, alongside a representative from Walmart, to announce a major expansion of the Bexley Box initiative started by Jared Bridegan’s widow through the Bridegan Foundation.
The effort is named for Bridegan’s daughter, Bexley, who was in the back seat of her father’s SUV when he was ambushed and fatally shot in Jacksonville Beach in February 2022. She was just 2 years old at the time and was thankfully not physically hurt.
“She was taken to the police station, where there weren’t that many things to comfort her,” an emotional Kirsten Bridegan recalled of her daughter’s experience. “There was no dry diaper. There was no sippy cup. There was barely anything to keep her distracted until I could be reunited with her hours later.”
Bexley’s experience at the police station following the traumatic event sparked an idea for Kirsten, who decided to fill that gap and provided a Bexley Box -- filled with stuffed animals, toys, coloring books, diapers, sippy cups and other items -- to the Jacksonville Beach police station.
Kirsten said her social media post about it showed her the need was more widespread than she’d realized.
“There were so many other parents being like, ‘Why aren’t these everywhere?’ and that made me realize that maybe it’s not just the police station that we were at. Maybe this is a widespread need,” Kirsten said.
A grassroots effort was launched through the Bridegan Foundation to get Bexley Boxes into as many Sheriff’s Offices and police stations in Florida as possible.
“She decided to turn to strength and do something very productive,” Florida AG James Uthmeier said of Kirsten Bridegan. “She realized that these law enforcement offices that can be so intimidating, they don’t have child friendly toys and books and essentially a kit so that when kids come in, there’s something that’s going to make them feel warm and welcomed and give them an opportunity to distract themselves from whatever terrors or dangerous situation that they may have just witnessed or been a part of.”
As of February, Kirsten said, 65 Bexley Boxes have been distributed to law enforcement offices, with a few more pending.
“Simple items that provide such a strong and profound difference for a child in crisis who is away from the comfort of their own home,” Kirsten said.
Last March, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier vowed to help Kirsten get these essential toolkits for children into every police department and Sheriff’s Office in Florida.
Walmart is stepping in as a partner to make it happen by pledging $100,000 in financial and in-kind support, and Kirsten said 120 more boxes will be distributed to law enforcement offices across the state over the next month.
“We’re a small team of volunteers, and we’ve done our best up to this point with the resources and the heart that we have, and this partnership will push us beyond our comfort zone in the best way possible,” Kirsten said. “We are deeply grateful, a little bit overwhelmed, but just so humbled by this opportunity to help children in the state of Florida.”
Uthmeier said the Florida Highway Patrol has also volunteered its services to help deliver the boxes.
Kirsten said once the boxes are placed, the effort will shift to making sure they are refilled as needed.
“To every officer who has used a Bexly Box to comfort a child, to every volunteer who has helped fill one up and to everyone who has helped contribute to this cause, thank you,” Kirsten said. “You are turning tragedy into compassion one box at a time. And together we will make a difference for children going through the unimaginable.”
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If you would like to learn more about the Bexley Box and the Bridegan Foundation, click here.
Bridegan’s ex-wife, Shanna Gardner, and her estranged husband, Mario Fernandez, are both charged with murder in Bridegan’s death. They’re accused of hiring a former tenant of Fernandez, Henry Tenon, to carry out the murder. Tenon has already pleaded guilty in Bridegan’s killing.