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May 12, 2008 12:58 pm US/Eastern
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$1 Million Bail For Suspect In Deadly Southie Fire
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
A woman charged with setting a fire that killed two sisters in South Boston last month was ordered held on $1 million cash bail Monday.
Nicole Chuminski, 25, pleaded not guilty two counts of murder and a single count of arson at her arraignment in South Boston District Court. She was arrested Friday.
An investigation into the April 6 fire that killed Acia Johnson, 14, and Sophia Johnson, 2, found that Chuminski and the victims' mother, Anna Reisopoulos, were lovers who had an argument hours before the fire, investigators said.
Reisopoulos was in court for Chuminski's arraignment. She trembled and both cried as the charges were read.
Chuminski also was seen near the home around the time of the fire, and an accelerant that could have fueled a fire was found on her clothing afterward, according to police. The accelerant was consistent with fuel that investigators found on a door frame of the triple-decker.
Her lawyer, William White, said she adamantly denies setting the fire. White said Chuminski got to know Reisopoulos' daughters and would never have done anything to hurt them.
The early morning fire spread rapidly and engulfed the building, trapping the two girls on the third floor. They died holding each other in a closet. Their bodies were identified through dental records.
Reisopoulos was seriously injured. Acia's twin brother, Raymond, escaped.
Chuminski was ordered to return to court May 19.
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)