A New Jersey actor best known for his roles in the “Resident Evil” video game franchise was indicted this week on almost three dozen charges, including attempted murder, after he allegedly shot a female driver in the face during a road rage incident — that sparked a university lockdown.
Ernest Wesley Heinz, 48, was cruising through Galloway Township on Sept. 11 when he cut off a woman while she was attempting to merge at a red light.
The woman, Maritza Arias-Galva, told officers with the Galloway Township Police Department that Heinz exited his vehicle and threatened to kill her before he shot her in the face.
“I know that kind of person, because I work in customer service. I just said, ‘Thank you, sir.’ And he said he was taking my life today,” Arias-Galva told The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Heinz then sped away — and right into the Stockton University campus grounds.
When police arrived, Arias-Galva told them “a White male with blonde hair in a ponytail” attacked her and left in a white Honda SUV.
She was treated for a non-fatal injury on her nose as police tracked down Heinz.
Stockton University remained in a three-hour lockdown while police scoured the campus for the alleged armed driver.
They eventually found Heinz at a residence near campus later that same day.
Heinz was originally charged with criminal attempt homicide, aggravated assault with a firearm, aggravated assault, possession of a weapon and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, according to the Galloway Township Police Department.
In early December, a grand jury indicted Heinz on 31 counts, including an upgraded attempted murder charge.
Some of his new charges are tied to a batch of firearms discovered inside a storage unit that Heinz allegedly stopped at moments after the shooting, as reported by Breaking AC.
The gun Heinz allegedly used in the shooting was a .380 caliber registered in his father’s name. The car he was driving was also registered in his mother’s name, the outlet reported.
The guns Heinz allegedly picked up after the initial attack were rented by one of his friends. Between the initial shooting and his capture, Heinz was seen on security footage stopping at a residence in Port Republic, NJ, where he retrieved two bags — one from Wawa and another with a rifle inside, investigators said.
Heinz is scheduled to be arraigned on Jan. 30, 2026. He will stay in custody until his trial, NJ.com reported.
The hotheaded’s short-lived career also includes an uncredited role in “The Sopranos,” though he is best known for providing face models in two “Resident Evil” video games.
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