A New Jersey actor with minor credits in “The Sopranos” and the “Resident Evil” video game series has been indicted on 31 counts, including first-degree attempted murder, after allegedly shooting a woman in the face during a road rage incident near Stockton University in Galloway Township, New Jersey.
Ernest Heinz, 47, was arrested on Sept. 11, hours after he allegedly fired at least one shot into another vehicle at a traffic light on Vera King Farris Drive. A grand jury issued a 31-count indictment against him, upgrading his initial charges to include first-degree attempted murder, aggravated assault and weapons offenses.
The shooting unfolded around 12:30 p.m. when Heinz and the victim, Maritza Arias-Galva, were merging into a single lane on South Pomona Road. According to court documents, Arias-Galva had her turn signal on and was attempting to merge when she was cut off by Heinz. The two drivers encountered each other again minutes later at a red light near the entrance to Stockton University.
At the traffic light, prosecutors said during a detention hearing, Heinz allegedly shouted at Arias-Galva from his vehicle before pulling the trigger. “I’m going to kill you,” Heinz allegedly said before firing.
The bullet struck Arias-Galva in the face, entering through her nose. Police arrived at the scene to find the woman suffering from a gunshot wound to the upper nose. She was rushed to a nearby hospital with severe injuries that left her unable to see out of one eye. The shooting forced a lockdown of Stockton University’s main campus that lasted several hours while police searched for the suspect.
Arias-Galva called 911 immediately after the shooting and described her attacker as a white male with blond hair in a ponytail, driving a white Honda SUV that fled toward the Stockton University campus grounds. Officers used that description to track down Heinz at a residence in Port Republic later that day.
The victim’s son, Victor Feliz-Arias, said his mother lost vision in one eye as a result of the attack.
Investigators later reviewed surveillance footage that allegedly showed Heinz returning to a residence in Port Republic less than 10 minutes after the shooting, holding a small black handgun. Police said the handgun used in the shooting was a .380 caliber handgun registered to his father. Most of the additional charges in the 31-count indictment relate to weapons offenses.
During a detention hearing, Assistant Prosecutor James Brown argued against Heinz’s release. “He said, ‘I’m going to kill you,’ and then tried to do exactly that,” Brown said. “The court need not wonder whether the defendant is a risk of danger. He realized that exact risk when he shot a fellow motorist in the face.”
Heinz’s defense attorney, Robin Kay Lord, disputed the attempted murder charge at the hearing. She argued for Heinz’s release on house arrest as an alternative to detention, noting that he had no criminal record and describing the incident as an isolated aberration rather than part of a pattern. A judge ordered Heinz to remain in jail without bail before trial.
Heinz has been held at the Atlantic County Justice Facility since his arrest. He is scheduled for arraignment on Jan. 30. Heinz faces first-degree attempted murder as the lead charge among the 31-count indictment handed down by the grand jury. He will remain in custody at the Atlantic County Justice Facility until his trial.
