An actor stands accused of shooting a woman in the face during a harrowing road rage incident in New Jersey. On Thursday, September 11, Ernest W. Heinz, aged 46, was apprehended by the Galloway Township Police Department, as detailed in a statement posted on Facebook. He faces a slew of serious charges, including criminal attempt homicide, aggravated assault with a firearm, aggravated assault, possession of a weapon, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, all stemming from the shooting of Maritza Arias-Galva.
According to authorities, Arias-Galva promptly called the police to report that she had been shot by a man while driving near Stockton University. "Officers from the Galloway Township Police Department swiftly responded to a 911 call regarding a shooting. The victim, Maritza Arias-Galva, contacted 911 to report that she had been shot in the face by a male suspect in another vehicle, who then fled north onto Vera King Ferris Drive, on the campus of Stockton University. It was later determined that the shooting was the result of an isolated road-rage incident," the statement revealed.
Arias-Galva provided a description of her attacker, stating he was "a white male with blonde hair in a ponytail," and informed police that he was driving a white Honda SUV. She received medical treatment at the Atlanticare Regional Medical Center, City Division, and authorities confirmed that she was "currently in stable condition and recovering from her injury."
Leveraging the information from the victim's description, authorities launched an intensive search, eventually locating Heinz "at a residence in the Blue Heron Pines Development in Galloway Township." He was promptly arrested and taken to the Atlantic County Justice Facility.
"The prompt and professional actions of our officers led to the swift apprehension of Mr. Heinz," Chief Eric B. Hendrickson stated in the release, extending gratitude to the Stockton University Police Department, the Atlantic County Sheriff’s Office, the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, the New Jersey State Police, and all Atlantic County agencies for their support in the investigation. "We wish Ms. Arias-Galva a speedy recovery and stand ready to support our community in the wake of this senseless incident," he added.
ABC affiliate WPVI reported that the shooting occurred around 12:50 p.m. local time, citing court documents. Arias-Galva recounted that she had been cut off by Heinz, who then threatened her life before allegedly firing the shot. "Fortunately, it didn't appear to have hit anything vital, and she remained conscious and able to communicate with our officers. We're very grateful she's okay," Capt. Mark D'Esposito told the outlet, noting that the suspect had fired only one shot.
On Saturday, September 13, Arias-Galva spoke to The Philadelphia Inquirer while recuperating at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. She shared with the outlet that she had made a conscious effort not to engage with the suspect. "I know that type of person well, having worked in customer service. I simply said, 'Thank you, sir.' And he responded by saying he was going to take my life today," she recalled.
She added that her thoughts were consumed by her children during the ordeal. "I was thinking about my kids. I knew I had to survive this. I'm the only family they have here in New Jersey," she said.
According to his IMDb profile, Heinz has worked as an actor and boasts a handful of credits up to 2014. Notably, he was involved in two Resident Evil video games and played a role in the 2011 film J. Edgar.
