Crime Stories with Nancy Grace - Florida Jury Convicts Orchestrator in Ambush Murder of Jared Bridegan | Crime Alert 08.29.26

Episode Date: August 29, 2026

A Florida jury has convicted Mario Fernandez Saldana of first-degree murder and solicitation in the 2022 ambush slaying of Microsoft executive Jared Bridegan. In Texas, former high school teacher Holly Adams was arrested following a year-long investigation into allegations of inappropriate relationships with students. Meanwhile, a reckless Florida driver fleeing a traffic stop slammed head-on into a school bus carrying 19 children before deputies apprehended him on foot. Sydney Silvagni reports. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-heart podcast. Guaranteed human. Behind every night spent making the kids' lunches, there's a lot of suspense. Will they finally eat the veggies? Will the pastos survive the first bite? Will the lunchbox come home empty, half full, or come home at all?

And will you finish episode 8 before you're done slicing the cucumbers? Get Bell Pure Fiber Internet with Craved Netflix and Disney Plus from $94 a month. Price guaranteed for two years on Internet with a two-year term and auto-pay. credit. Visit bell.ca for details and to check availability. Bell, connection is everything. Crime alert, hourly update. Breaking Crime News now. I'm Sidney. A Florida courtroom delivers long-awaited accountability in the calculated, ruthless ambush murder of Microsoft Executive Jared Brightigan. On Wednesday, after a seven-day trial and less than four hours

of jury deliberation, a Duval County jury found Mario Fernandez Sal Donna guilty on all counts including first-degree murder and solicitation to commit a capital felony. Here is the moment the court official read the official guilty verdict. In the circuit court of the fourth judicial circuit and in Fort Duval County, Florida, case number 16, 2023, CF-2862A, Division CRB. State of Florida versus Mario Enrique Fernandez-Ladonna, verdict, count one. We, the jury, find the defendant guilty of first-degree murder is charged the indictment. So say we all done at Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida, signed four person,

dated 826-26. That decisive verdict marks a pivotal moment in a chilling, years-long plot. Back in February 2022, 33-year-old Jared Bridigan, a father of four, was driving home through Jacksonville Beach after dropping off his young twin children at his ex-wife's residence. Suddenly, he came upon a dark tire placed intentionally in the middle of an unlit road. When Breitigan brought his vehicle to a stop and stepped out to move the obstruction, an armed assailant ambushed him, opening fire at close range and killing him on the spot. Horrifyingly, his two-year-old daughter was sitting strapped in her car seat in the back row during the rapid gunfire, though she miraculously escaped physical harm.

Prosecutors presented an exhaustive case demonstrating that the crime scene was was a deliberate trap, resulting from an exceptionally bitter high-conflict custody battle between Bridegan and his ex-wife, Shanna Gardner. Investigators revealed that Gardner stood to regain full control of her family's trust fund once all legal entanglements ended. Authorities allege Gardner and her new husband, Fernandez Saldana, orchestrated the hit together, ultimately soliciting their former tenant, Henry Tenon, in paying him at least $10,000 to execute the shooting. Tenon initially entered a guilty plea before rescinding it, and he is now scheduled to stand trial next year. Fernandez-Seldana was arrested in March 23, followed by Gardner's arrest in August.

Although both were indicted on identical charges, a judge ruled that Gardner and Fernandez-Saldauna would be tried separately before different juries. Gardner's trial is set for September, while Fernandez-Saldana was ordered to return to court on October 5th to receive his official sentencing date. More crime and justice news after this. Behind every night spent making the kids' lunches, there's a lot of suspense. Will they finally eat the veggies? Will the pasto survive the first bite? Will the lunchbox come home empty, half full, or come home at all? And will you finish episode 8 before you're done slicing the cucumbers?

Get Bell Pure Fiber Internet with Craved Netflix and Disney Plus from $94 a month. Price guaranteed for two years on internet with a two-year term and auto pay credit. Visit bell.za for details and to check availability. Bell, connection is everything. In Texas, a former high school teacher is behind bars following a year-long investigation into allegations of improper relationships with students. Holly Adams, who taught at Angleton High School near Houston, was arrested Tuesday by the Brazoria County Sheriff's Office. She is charged with one count of tampering with evidence and two counts of purchasing or furnishing alcohol to a minor. The probe began after a student alerted school staff that Adams was having an inappropriate relationship with a former student. According to news reports, the victim FaceTime called another student over the summer from Adams' bedroom, displaying a bed covered in nude photos of her.

Another image showed Adams and the former student cuddling. Adams reportedly invited students to her home to perform household chores and admitted to messaging three baseball team members on Snapchat. Dr. Gail Salts, clinical associate professor of psychiatry at Wheel Cornell Medical College, noted that female teachers who sexually abuse male students often engage in self-grooming, convincing themselves they are in a legitimate romantic relationship while inflicting severe lasting harm. Adams was released on a $26,000 bond, and district officials confirmed she no longer works for Engleton Independent School District. Finally, in Sumter County, Florida, a traffic stop turned into dangerous chaos when a fleeing driver slammed head on into a school bus, carrying 19 children.

The incident began around 7.30 Tuesday morning when a deputy conducting school zone enforcement near the village's intermediate center spotted 23-year-old Quahim Williams, driving 17 miles per hour over the speed limit. When the deputy attempted a traffic stop, Williams accelerated and sideswiked two vehicles, damaging his axle before colliding head on with the Sumter County School Bus. Inside the bus, dashboard cameras captured the terrifying impact. All 19 children were safe and uninjured. Williams abandoned his damaged vehicle and fled on foot toward a store before deputies chased him down. Williams was taken into custody on charges including fleeing or eluding,

driving with a suspended license, marijuana possession, leaving the scene of a crash, and resisting an officer alongside two outstanding war. Sheriff Patrick Breeden stated he has zero tolerance for endangering children. Williams is held without bond. For more crime and justice news, be sure to join us for crime stories with Nancy Grace on Fox 1, YouTube, SiriusXM, and now streaming on Tooby. With this crime alert, I'm Sidney. This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed human.