Man arrested in Jared Bridegan’s murder, State Attorney said the suspect didn’t act alone

Jared Bridegan was gunned down Feb. 16, 2022, in Jacksonville Beach after taking his twins he shared with ex-wife Shanna Gardner Fernandez and his 2-year-old Bexley, his daughter with wife Kirsten Bridegan, to dinner. The software engineer had just dropped off the twins at Gardner-Fernandez’s house when he encountered a tire in the one-way road.

Jacksonville Beach FL — Jacksonville Beach Police Department Chief Gene Paul Smith and State Attorney Melissa Nelson announced an arrest has been made in the murder of Jared Bridegan.

Nelson said Henry Tenon, 61, has been arrested and charged with the following crimes:

  • Conspiracy to commit murder - Nelson said investigators know Tenon didn’t act alone in the crime
  • Accessory after the fact to a capital felony
  • Child abuse - Because Bridegan’s then-2-year-old daughter was directly in harm’s way during the shooting, Nelson said
  • Second-degree murder

Nelson said Tenon did not act alone in the crime and his arrest warrant will be sealed for the next 30 days.

She said her office was sharing limited information to protect the integrity of the case.

Tenon is expected to appear in court on Thursday. Nelson said investigators will have to present the case to a jury to get a first-degree murder indictment.

Bridegan was gunned down Feb. 16, 2022, in Jacksonville Beach after taking his twins and Bexley, then 2, to dinner. The software engineer had just dropped off the twins at their mother’s house when he encountered a tire in the one-way road.

Smith said Wednesday the “tire was purposely placed there to make him stop.”

Bridegan stepped out of his Volkswagen Atlas to move it and was repeatedly shot as Bexley watched from her car seat.

“This was a planned and targeted ambush and murder,” Smith said.

Early in the probe, police asked for the public’s help identifying a dark-blue Ford F-150 captured on surveillance footage near the crime scene, and there is a $55,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.

According to a Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office inmate search, Tenon has been in jail since August on charges that include possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, driving while license suspended or revoked and unlawful speed.

Smith said JBPD would still like the public to come forward with any information they may have about Tenon or the case.

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