By Editor,Melissa Koenig

Copyright dailymail

An actor who once appeared in an episode of The Sopranos has been arrested and charged with attempted murder after he allegedly shot a female driver during a road rage incident.

Ernest Wesley Heinz, 46, of Port Republic, New Jersey, was taken into custody on Thursday in connection with the shooting that left Stockton University on lockdown for several hours, 6 Action News reports.

Galloway Township police said they received a call about a shooting on West Jimmie Leeds Road near Redwood Avenue just before 1pm on Thursday.

By the time officers arrived at the scene, they found the victim, Maritza Arias-Galva, 42, with visible injuries – including swelling on her right cheek that left her eye nearly closed, according to Breaking AC.

She was then rushed to a local hospital, where she told police that a man in a white Hyundai had shot her in the face at a red light.

Arias-Galva explained to the Philadelphia Inquirer she had been on her way home from the grocery store – excited to celebrate her belated birthday with her children on her day off from work.

But when she was trying to merge onto Jimmie Leeds Road with her turn signal activated, Arias-Galva said the suspect vehicle cut her off.

When they then both arrived at a red light, she said the other driver called her a ‘b****’ and a ‘motherf*****’ and threatened to kill her.

‘I wasn’t arguing with him. I know that kind of person because I work customer service,’ Arias-Galva recounted.

‘I just said, “Thank you sir.” And he said he was taking my life.’

She then tried to roll up her window when Heinz allegedly pulled out a gun and fired, she recounted in an online fundraiser for her medical expenses.

Fortunately, police say, Arias-Galva was able to call 911 to report the shooting and tell them that the suspect had fled north on Vera King Ferris Drive – which is on the Stockton University campus.

But Arias-Galva said it was difficult for her to maintain consciousness as she spoke, and she even resorted to pouring water on herself.

‘I was thinking about my kids,’ the hardworking mother told the Inquirer. ‘I was thinking, “I need to survive this. I’m the only family they have in New Jersey.”‘

Police eventually discovered the vehicle had been registered to Heinz’s mother and a Sig Sauer .350 handgun was registered to his father.

Officers executed search warrants on three Port Republic homes, another in Galloway Township and two vehicles.

A shelter in place order was in effect at the university during that time, but was lifted nearly three hours later and the university was able to operate as normal on Friday after authorities tracked Heinz down and took him into custody.

Stockton University President Joe Bertolino has since released a statement saying the shelter in place was issued out of an abundance of caution.

‘I recognize how unsettling it can be to receive an alert like that and I want to commend you for your patience, understanding and commitment to following the guidance provided,’ he said.

Meanwhile, friends took to social media to raise funds for Arias-Galva.

‘Yesterday, our dear friend, coworker and loving mother was the victim of a senseless act of violence,’ Adriana Danzieri wrote on Facebook, noting that she works with Arias-Galva as a guest service agent for Spirit Airlines.

‘She is a hardworking woman, holding down two jobs as a single mother, doing everything she can to provide for her little girl,’ Danzieri continued.

‘It breaks our hearts to see her in this situation, when all she has ever done is work hard and take care of her family.’

Danzieri then encouraged people to donate, writing: ‘Let’s all come together and lift her up with love, prayers and support.’

The online fundraiser also notes that Arias-Galva is ‘the kind of person who always puts others first, and now she needs our help more than ever.

‘The extent of her injuries is still being evaluated and we don’t yet know if she will lose vision in her eye or how long she will be out of work.

‘In the meantime, she faces mounting medical bills, legal fees and the everyday expenses of raising a family.’

The fundraiser also notes that ‘the trauma she experiences has left deep scars, both emotionally and physically, and she now faces the daunting task of healing and rebuilding her life.’

It also included a message from Arias-Galva herself, saying she was ‘the victim of a man consumed by rage and what seemed to be racism, who devalued my life simply because I am a Hispanic woman.’

She insisted the ‘only mistake’ she made was ‘merging onto a lane that was ending,’ which prompted Heinz to try to ‘ram my car twice, blocking my path and hen pursued me onto Jimmy Leeds Road.

‘Despite everything, I’m thankful to be alive,’ Arias-Galva said. ‘I believe God was watching over me and spared my life.

‘This horrific event has deeply impacted me and my family,’ she concluded. ‘It’s a stark reminder that such violence can happen to anyone, even when you’re not seeking conflict.

‘Please everyone, stay safe,’ she begged. ‘There is too much brokenness in this world.’

Heinz, who once also played the jury foreman in the 2011 film J. Edgar, is now being held at the Atlantic County Justice Facility.

In addition to the attempted homicide charge, he is also facing second-degree assault, along with third-degree aggravated assault and possession of a weapon and fourth-degree unlawful possession of a weapon.

Heinz’s only prior criminal cases were in 2002, when he was accused of violating a domestic violence restraining order that July and on September 11 of that year, exactly 23 years before his arrest, according to Breaking AC.

He is now due to appear in court for a detention hearing on Wednesday.