The Sopranos star accused of attempted murder after 'shooting woman in face'

An actor who appeared in The Sopranos has been indicted on charges that he shot a woman during a road rage incident. Ernest Heinz, 47, was arrested hours after he allegedly shot the woman in the face near a traffic light at Vera King Farris Drive in Galloway Township, near Stockton University’s main campus, in September. The victim, Maritza Arias-Galva, had reportedly indicated to merge into traffic when Heinz’s vehicle cut her off. While both vehicles were stopped at a red light, Heinz allegedly yelled at her, threatening to kill her as he fired a single shot.

The incident left the mum-of-three blind in one eye. Arias-Galva described her attacker "as a white male with blonde hair in a ponytail" and told the police that he was driving a white Honda SUV, Galloway Township Police said at the time. Using Arias-Galva’s description, police tracked down Heinz, 46, at a local residence and took him into custody.

At the time of his arrest, he was charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault with a firearm, aggravated assault, possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

A grand jury indicted Heinz on a total of 31 counts earlier this month. A judge ordered Heinz to be held without bail at the Atlantic County Justice Facility while he awaits trial.

Robin Kay Lord, Heinz’s attorney, has challenged the attempted murder charge, arguing in court that the case could instead be classified as passion-provocation manslaughter. She petitioned for his release on house arrest, but the request was denied.

When they stopped at the light, Arias-Galva told police the driver called her a “b***h” and a “motherf*****” before threatening to kill her. During a detention hearing, prosecutors said Heinz threatened the victim moments before firing, allegedly yelling: “I’m going to you today. Today, I’m going to [take] care of you.”

According to earlier police accounts, the bullet entered her nose and exited through the side of her face. She was rushed to hospital and left with permanent damage to her eye.

Heinz was arrested within hours of the shooting. Surveillance footage reportedly shows the actor returning to his Port Republic home less than 10 minutes after the incident, still carrying a handgun.

Heinz was later seen retrieving bags, including one believed to contain a rifle, from a storage unit rented by an associate, the police said.

The firearm used in the attack was quickly linked to Heinz's family. Police reported that the handgun used in the shooting was a Sig Sauer registered to his father, while the SUV he was driving was registered to his mother.

In the days after the shooting, Arias-Galva's son told NBC Philadelphia: "Right now she’s blind in her right eye. We’re really thankful she’s still alive with God, because we know God will save her. For me to think that somebody decided to shoot my mom for no reason, I still don’t get it. I just want justice, that’s all I want, justice. Lock him up and don’t let him out.”

A GoFundMe page, launched to help cover Arias-Galva’s medical expenses, describes her as a hardworking single mother trying to rebuild her life.

According to his IMDb page, Heinz made an appearance in The Sopranos in 2006. He also had a minor role in the 2011 biographical drama film J. Edgar, starring Leonardo DiCaprio.