A former actor who appeared in the hit series The Sopranos is now in custody, formally charged with attempted murder following a horrific road rage shooting that prosecutors say left a mother of three permanently blinded in one eye.
A Violent Confrontation Near Campus
The incident unfolded on September 11 shortly after midday on South Pomona Road in Galloway Township, New Jersey. According to prosecutors, Ernest Heinz, 47, and the victim, Maritza Arias-Galva, 46, crossed paths while merging into a single lane.
An affidavit states that after Heinz passed Arias-Galva during the merge, the two vehicles met again minutes later at a red light near Vera King Farris Drive, a main route leading onto the campus of Stockton University. Authorities allege Heinz began shouting obscenities, calling Arias-Galva a "b****" and a "motherf*****" and threatening to kill her.
Prosecutors say he yelled, "I'm going to kill you today. Today, I'm going to take care of you," moments before firing a single gunshot into her car. The bullet entered through her nose and exited the side of her face.
Life-Altering Injuries and a Family's Anguish
Police arriving around 12:30pm found Arias-Galva suffering from the severe facial gunshot wound. She was rushed to hospital, where the injuries resulted in the loss of vision in her right eye. "Right now she's blind on her right eye," her son, Victor Feliz-Arias, told NBC Philadelphia shortly after the attack.
"For me to think that somebody decided to shoot my mom for no reason, I still don't get it," he said. "I just want justice, that's all I want, justice. Lock him up and don't let him out." Feliz-Arias revealed his mother had been on her way home from the grocery store, looking forward to a belated birthday celebration with her children when the violence erupted.
A GoFundMe campaign set up to aid her recovery describes Arias-Galva as a hardworking single mother who holds down two jobs to support her young family. It states the trauma has left "deep scars, both emotionally and physically."
Swift Arrest and a Sweeping Indictment
Following the shooting, the Stockton University campus was placed on lockdown for several hours as police searched for a suspect described as a white man with a blond ponytail driving a white SUV. Ernest Heinz was arrested within hours.
Investigators say surveillance footage showed him returning to his home in Port Republic less than ten minutes after the shooting, still armed with a handgun. The handgun was a Sig Sauer registered to his father, and the vehicle used was registered to his mother. Search warrants executed at multiple locations led to the recovery of further weapons, including a rifle from a storage unit.
A grand jury has returned a sweeping 31-count indictment against Heinz, including charges of first-degree attempted murder, aggravated assault with a firearm, and multiple weapons offences. A judge has ordered him held without bail at the Atlantic County Justice Facility while he awaits trial.
His attorney, Robin Kay Lord, has contested the attempted murder charge, arguing in court for a lesser charge of passion-provocation manslaughter. Her request for Heinz's release to house arrest was denied.
Court records show Heinz's prior criminal history is limited to a 2002 case involving an alleged violation of a domestic violence restraining order. Beyond minor acting roles in The Sopranos, J. Edgar, and The Prestige, he has worked as a real estate and mortgage broker and served as a face model for the Resident Evil video game franchise.
