Sopranos actor charged in New Jersey road-rage shooting that blinded woman

A New Jersey road-rage shooting near Stockton University left a mother of three blinded in one eye, and authorities say the suspect is a man with small acting credits who previously appeared in The Sopranos. Ernest Wesley Heinz, 46, was arrested and charged with attempted homicide, Aggravated assault with a firearm, possession of a weapon, and related counts in connection with the Sept. 11 incident on Jimmie Leeds Road in Galloway Township, police said.

The victim, Maritza Arias-Galva, 42, was driving home from the grocery store when the incident began at a red light. She told investigators that a white Hyundai cut her off during the merge and that the other driver shouted insults before the two vehicles stopped at the traffic signal. According to Arias-Galva, the other driver then fired, with the bullet entering through her nose and left side of her face and exiting the right side. She was treated at a local hospital for injuries that rendered her right eye blind, and her condition was described as serious but stable.

Police said Heinz fled across Stockton University’s campus after the shooting, prompting a campus lockdown that lasted several hours. Investigators later learned the gunman’s vehicle was registered to Heinz’s mother and that a Sig Sauer .350 handgun was registered to his father. Law enforcement conducted search warrants on three Port Republic residences, another in Galloway Township, and two vehicles before detaining Heinz. He was held at the Atlantic County Justice Facility without bail, with a court hearing scheduled for Thursday.

In addition to attempted homicide, Heinz faces charges of aggravated assault with a firearm, aggravated assault, possession of a weapon, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, according to authorities. Police described the incident as a road-rage dispute that escalated at a red light on a residential corridor near the Stockton campus. The investigation continued as authorities sought to determine motive and the full timeline of events on that day.

Victor Feliz-Arias, Arias-Galva’s son, told NBC Philadelphia that his mother has been left blind in her right eye and may never regain vision. “Right now she’s blind on her right eye,” he said. “We’re really thankful she’s still alive with God, because we know God will save her.” Feliz-Arias added that his mother is a loving, hardworking mother devoted to her children, and he urged for justice in the case.

The case has drawn attention to Heinz’s prior public credits. Reports note that he has small-screen acting experience, including a role as a jury foreman in the film J. Edgar, a thief in an episode of The Sopranos, and a face model for two Resident Evil video games, according to IMDB. Court records show his only prior criminal matters were in 2002, including a domestic violence restraining order violation and, on September 11 of that year, another unspecified charge—exactly 23 years before the current arrest.

A GoFundMe page set up to assist Arias-Galva’s medical expenses described her as a devoted single mother who works two jobs to support her children. The fundraiser said her injuries were being evaluated and that she might lose vision in her eye, with ongoing medical bills, legal costs, and daily living expenses adding to the family’s burden as she navigates recovery.