A former actor with a minor role in HBO’s “The Sopranos” faces a sweeping 31-count indictment for allegedly shooting a woman in the face during a road rage confrontation near Stockton University in Galloway Township, New Jersey.
Ernest Heinz, 47, of Port Republic, New Jersey, was charged with first-degree attempted murder, aggravated assault, and weapons offenses following the September 11, 2025, incident that left Maritza Arias-Galva unable to see out of one eye. The shooting occurred around 12:30 p.m. on Vera King Farris Drive, a main entrance to the university campus, prompting a lockdown of the school.
According to court documents, the confrontation began when Arias-Galva, a mother of three children, was merging into a single lane on South Pomona Road. The two drivers encountered each other again minutes later at a traffic light near the university, where Heinz allegedly began shouting from his vehicle before firing at least one shot into her car.
“I’m going to kill you,” Heinz allegedly shouted during the violent outburst, prosecutors said at a detention hearing.
The bullet entered through Arias-Galva’s nose and exited through the side of her face. She was on her way home from the grocery store when the shooting occurred.
Officers tracked down Heinz after Arias-Galva called 911 and described her attacker as a white male with blond hair driving a white Honda SUV that fled toward the Stockton University campus grounds. Police arrested him the same day at a local residence.
Surveillance footage allegedly shows Heinz returning to his home in Port Republic less than 10 minutes after the shooting, still armed with a handgun. Investigators say he then hurriedly retrieved two bags from the residence, including one containing a rifle and another from Wawa, both of which were later discovered in a storage unit rented by one of his friends.
Police recovered multiple firearms from the storage unit, including several shotguns and pistols. The weapon used in the shooting was identified as a .380 caliber handgun registered to Heinz’s father. Investigators determined Heinz was not legally allowed to own weapons due to a restraining order from 2002.
Most of the additional charges in the indictment relate to weapons offenses connected to the firearms found in the storage facility. The original charges included five counts before the grand jury expanded the indictment.
A judge ordered Heinz held without bail at the Atlantic County Justice Facility while he awaits trial. He is scheduled for arraignment in late January.
Defense attorney Robin Kay Lord argued against the attempted murder charge during a detention hearing, suggesting the incident could legally fall into passion-provocation manslaughter. She unsuccessfully fought for Heinz’s release, proposing house arrest as an alternative.
“He has no criminal record, nothing even remotely close to what is alleged to have happened here. It’s an isolated aberration. There’s not a pattern,” Lord said.
Victor Feliz-Arias, the victim’s son, expressed relief at the judge’s decision to keep Heinz in custody. He said his mother has lost vision in her right eye and may never regain it.
Heinz worked as a real estate broker and had acting credits, including one episode of “The Sopranos,” according to industry databases. He also appeared in the films “J. Edgar” and “The Prestige.”
The shooting forced Stockton University’s main campus into lockdown as police searched for the suspect. Students and faculty sheltered in place while officers secured the area and tracked down Heinz at his residence.
Prosecutors emphasized the severity of the attack during the detention hearing, noting that Heinz allegedly threatened Arias-Galva moments before pulling the trigger at a busy intersection near a college campus in the middle of the day.
The case now moves forward to arraignment, where Heinz will face the full slate of charges before a judge. The first-degree attempted murder charge carries significant prison time if convicted, and the weapons offenses add additional potential penalties given his legal prohibition from owning firearms.