Mario Fernandez facing child sex crime charges after conviction in Jared Bridegan murder

Key Points:

• Mario Fernandez faces two new felony charges of lewd and lascivious molestation involving two child victims, one under the age of 12, following his conviction for the murder of Jared Bridegan.
• The abuse allegations span several years and include incidents occurring in Fernandez's Jacksonville home, with one victim describing molestation beginning at age 8 and another detailing an incident in March 2022 when she was alone with Fernandez.
• Fernandez was convicted of first-degree murder and solicitation to commit a capital felony in the 2022 killing of Bridegan, a case rooted in contentious child custody battles between Bridegan and his ex-wife, Shanna Gardner, who is now married to Fernandez.
• The new charges have delayed Gardner’s trial on murder charges, pushing jury selection to May 2027, with the state planning to try the cases of Fernandez, Gardner, and Henry Tenon—who was implicated as the hired shooter—together.
• Fernandez, a former Army drill sergeant with a prior dropped sexual assault allegation and less-than-honorable discharge, remains in jail pending sentencing for Bridegan’s murder and will face arraignment for the new molestation charges in September.