Ernest Heinz, 46, was indicted earlier this month on 31 counts connected to a September 11 shooting in Galloway Township, according to court records reviewed by PEOPLE. Heinz is scheduled to be arraigned on January 30, 2026, and will remain in custody until trial.
What police say happened
Investigators say the incident began during a traffic merge on South Pomona Road near Stockton University. Prosecutors allege Heinz passed another driver, Maritza Arias-Galva, during the merge. When the two vehicles encountered each other again moments later, Heinz allegedly began shouting from his car.
According to authorities, Heinz then fired at least one shot into Arias-Galva’s vehicle, striking her in the face. Prosecutors say he also threatened her during the confrontation, allegedly telling her, “I’m going to kill you.”
Despite being wounded, Arias-Galva managed to call police.
Arrest and expanding charges
Arias-Galva described her attacker as a white male with blond hair in a ponytail driving a white Honda SUV. Using that description, Galloway Township police located Heinz at a nearby residence and arrested him the same day.
He was initially charged with attempted homicide, aggravated assault with a firearm, and weapons offenses. But the case expanded after investigators discovered multiple firearms inside a storage unit Heinz allegedly visited minutes after the shooting.
According to reports from NJ.com, Breaking AC, and ABC 6, security footage shows Heinz returning to Port Republic less than 10 minutes after the shooting while still armed. He was later seen retrieving bags — including one holding a rifle — that were eventually found in a storage unit rented under a friend’s name.
Prosecutors say the handgun allegedly used in the shooting was a .380-caliber firearm registered to Heinz’s father. The white Honda CR-V he was driving was reportedly registered to his mother.
Victim speaks out
Two days after the shooting, Arias-Galva spoke to The Philadelphia Inquirer from her hospital bed at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, where she was recovering from her injuries.
She said she tried to avoid escalating the situation.
“I know that kind of person, because I work customer service,” she told the paper. “I just said, ‘Thank you, sir.’ And he said he was taking my life today.”
As she waited for help, Arias-Galva said her thoughts were focused on survival — and her family.
“I was thinking about my kids,” she said. “I need to survive this. I’m the only family they have in New Jersey.”
What’s next
With the grand jury indictment now in place, Heinz faces a wide range of serious charges tied to both the shooting and the weapons found afterward. Prosecutors have argued he poses a danger to the community, a claim that has kept him behind bars as the case moves toward trial.
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