Suspect arrested
Chuminski was arrested in May 2008, following a Suffolk County Grand Jury investigation.
Chuminski was arrested in May 2008, following a Suffolk County Grand Jury investigation.
Nicole Chuminski, 27, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder for allegedly starting a fire that killed Acia and Sophia Johnson, ages 14 and 2.
According to prosecutors, Chuminski and lover Anna Reisopoulos, whose young son survived the blaze, had argued at a wedding they attended in the hours before the April 6, 2008, fire. Chuminski allegedly was seen at the West Sixth Street apartment building around the time of the fire. An accelerant was later found on her clothing.
The flames spread quickly through the row house, trapping the two sisters in a closet on the third floor. Investigators said they died holding each other, their bodies identified only through dental records.
Chuminski’s attorney, William White, has said that his client will have witnesses to exonerate her.