Port Republic Man Detained Pending Trial On Attempted Murder Charges

Sunday, September 28, 2025, 7:15 A.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,

GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP, NJ.- A 46-year-old Port Republic, New Jersey, man will remain in the Atlantic County Justice Facility pending trial on charges for shooting a woman in the face earlier this month in Galloway Township, New Jersey.

     According to Atlantic County Prosecutor William E. Reynolds, on Thursday, September 25, 2025, Ernest Heinz, 46, of the Port Republic section of Galloway Township, New Jersey, appeared in Atlantic County Superior Court and was ordered detained by Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Waldman on charges of Attempted Murder; Aggravated Assault; and related Weapons Offenses.

According To Initial Police Reports

     According to the initial Police reports, during the afternoon hours of September 11, 2025, members of the Galloway Township Police Department responded to a report of a shooting on Jimmie Leeds Road near Stockton University in the Township, causing the school to be locked down.

     Upon arrival, Police Officers located a 42-year-old female shooting victim and a bystander who reported that an unknown man had pulled his vehicle alongside the victim’s vehicle and shot her in the face before fleeing the scene. Within hours, Police Officers located the suspect vehicle and identified Heinz as the shooter, and shortly thereafter, he was taken into custody and charged. During the investigation, Detectives and Police Officers were able to recover area video surveillance footage depicting Heinz with a handgun in his hand just minutes after the shooting.

     Heinz will remain in the Atlantic County Justice Facility and is scheduled for his next court appearance before Superior Court Judge Joseph Levin on October 31, 2025.

“The rules of the court require us to include a statement that states: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.”