'Sopranos' Actor Ernest Heinz Indicted After Blinding Women Following Road Rage Shooting Incident

An actor with a brief connection to The Sopranos is now facing an extensive list of criminal charges stemming from a violent road rage encounter in southern New Jersey. Ernest Heinz, 46, was indicted earlier this month on 31 counts related to a September 11 shooting that left a woman seriously injured. Court records obtained by the outlet show Heinz is scheduled to be arraigned on January 30, 2026, and will remain in custody while awaiting trial. The incident unfolded near Stockton University in Galloway Township, where Maritza Arias-Galva reported being shot in the face during what authorities described as a road rage confrontation. According to police, Arias-Galva called 911 shortly after the incident and described her attacker as a white man with blond hair tied back, driving a white Honda SUV. Using that description, officers located Heinz at a nearby residence and arrested him the same day. He was initially charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault with a firearm, unlawful possession of a weapon, and related offenses, according to the Galloway Township Police Department. Prosecutors later expanded the case after investigators allegedly uncovered multiple firearms inside a storage unit tied to Heinz. Reports state that Heinz went to the unit shortly after the shooting, leading authorities to file dozens of additional weapons-related charges. Investigators also believe Heinz fired at least one round into Arias-Galva’s vehicle after the two drivers encountered each other while merging lanes on South Pomona Road. During a detention hearing, prosecutors alleged Heinz shouted threats, including telling the victim, “I’m going to kill you.” Surveillance footage later captured Heinz returning to Port Republic less than 10 minutes after the shooting while still armed, prosecutors said. He was allegedly seen retrieving bags that were later found to contain weapons stored in a unit rented by an associate. Arias-Galva later said she tried to avoid escalating the situation and focused on staying alive for her children. “I was thinking about my kids,” she recalled. “I need to survive this.”