By Editor,Rachel Bowman
Copyright dailymail
A woman allegedly shot in the face by an actor who once appeared in The Sopranos has been left blinded in the apparent road rage attack, her son said.
Ernest Wesley Heinz, 46, was arrested and charged with attempted homicide for the September 11 shooting incident in New Jersey.
The Galloway Township Police Department said Maritza Arias-Galva, 42, had been targeted while driving near Stockton University.
By the time officers arrived at the scene, they found the victim with visible injuries – including swelling on her right cheek that left her eye nearly closed, according to Breaking AC.
The bullet entered through Arias-Galva’s nose and left side of her face, exiting on the right side.
The mother of three was then rushed to a local hospital, where she told police that a white man with blonde hair in a ponytail who was driving a white Hyundai had shot her in the face at a red light.
Her son, Victor Feliz-Arias, is calling for ‘justice’ for his mom, who he said has been left blinded and may never regain her vision.
‘Right now she’s blind on her right eye,’ Victor told NBC Philadelphia. ‘We’re really thankful she’s still alive with God, because we know God will save her.’
The son explained that Heinz, of nearby Port Republic, allegedly told his mother: ‘I’m going to kill you today. Today, I’m going to care of you,’ before firing.
‘For me to think that somebody decided to shoot my mom for no reason, I still don’t get it,’ Victor said. ‘I just want justice, that’s all I want, justice. Lock him up and don’t let him out.’
Arias-Galva told the Philadelphia Inquirer that she had been on her way home from the grocery store at the time, excited to celebrate her belated birthday with her children on her day off from work.
As she was trying to merge onto Jimmie Leeds Road with her turn signal activated, Arias-Galva said the suspect’s 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.
Police said Heinz fled through Stockton University’s campus after the shooting, causing the school to go on lockdown for several hours.
Investigators 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 homes in Port Republic, another in Galloway Township and two vehicles before arresting Heinz.
In addition to the attempted homicide charge, Heinz is also facing charges for aggravated assault with a firearm, aggravated assault, possession of a weapon, and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
He is being held at the Atlantic County Justice Facility without bail, and has a court hearing scheduled for Thursday.
Heinz has had several small roles, including the jury foreman in the film J. Edgar, a thief in an episode of The Sopranos and a face model for two Resident Evil video games, according to IMDB.
His only prior criminal cases were in 2002, when he was accused of violating a domestic violence restraining order, and on September 11 that same year – exactly 23 years before his shooting arrest.
A GoFundMe set up to help cover Arias-Galva’s medical expenses described her as a loving mother works tirelessly for her children.
‘Maritza is a loving single mother who works tirelessly at two jobs to provide for her young children,’ the fundraiser said.
‘She 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 trauma she experienced has left deep scars, both emotionally and physically, and she now faces the daunting task of healing and rebuilding her life.