A New Jersey man who once appeared in an episode of The Sopranos was arrested Thursday and charged with attempted murder after police say he shot a woman during a road‑rage confrontation that prompted a shelter‑in‑place at Stockton University.
Galloway Township police said officers responded just before 1 p.m. to a report of a shooting on West Jimmie Leeds Road near Redwood Avenue. The victim, identified by authorities as 42‑year‑old Maritza Arias‑Galva, was found with visible facial injuries and taken to a local hospital. Police allege the shooter, later identified as 46‑year‑old Ernest Wesley Heinz of Port Republic, fired at Arias‑Galva while both vehicles were stopped at a red light.
Arias‑Galva told investigators she had been returning from grocery shopping and was attempting to merge with her turn signal on when another vehicle cut her off. She said the other driver called her derogatory names and threatened her life before allegedly firing a handgun at her. Police said she was able to call 911 and report that the suspect fled north on Vera King Ferris Drive, a road that runs through the Stockton University campus.
Stockton issued a shelter‑in‑place for parts of the campus while officers searched the area; the order was lifted nearly three hours later, and the university resumed normal operations the next day. "The shelter in place was issued out of an abundance of caution," Stockton President Joe Bertolino said in a statement, thanking the campus community for following guidance.
Police later determined the vehicle involved was registered to Heinz's mother and that a Sig Sauer .350 handgun was registered to his father, authorities said. Officers executed search warrants at multiple properties in Port Republic and Galloway Township and at two vehicles. Heinz was taken into custody and is being held at the Atlantic County Justice Facility. He faces charges that include first‑degree attempted murder, second‑degree assault, third‑degree aggravated assault and weapons offenses; he is due in court for a detention hearing on Wednesday.
Heinz has prior screen credits, including an appearance in an episode of The Sopranos and a role as a jury foreman in the 2011 film J. Edgar, public records show. His only prior criminal cases listed were from 2002, when he was accused of violating a domestic‑violence restraining order.
Friends and coworkers of Arias‑Galva, who works for Spirit Airlines, started an online fundraiser to help cover medical and living expenses. A post by a colleague described Arias‑Galva as a single mother who works two jobs and urged community support as she recovers. The fundraiser says the extent of her injuries is still being evaluated, including possible vision loss in the injured eye.
In a message included with the fundraiser, Arias‑Galva said she believed the attack was motivated by rage and what she described as racism, and that her only error was merging into a lane that was ending. "Despite everything, I'm thankful to be alive," she wrote. "This horrific event has deeply impacted me and my family. Please everyone, stay safe. There is too much brokenness in this world."
Authorities have described the allegations against Heinz as part of an ongoing investigation and noted that charges are accusations to be proven in court. The case has drawn attention locally because the suspect has a small number of film and television credits and because the incident temporarily disrupted activity at a university campus.
The Galloway Township Police Department and Atlantic County prosecutors did not immediately provide additional comment beyond the charges and the planned detention hearing. The hospital did not release details on Arias‑Galva's condition beyond the accounts quoted by police and statements from friends organizing support for her recovery.