Grand jury indicts woman in fatal South Boston fire

By Globe Staff

A grand jury has indicted a 26-year-old woman on murder and other charges for allegedly starting an April 6 fire in South Boston that killed two children.

Nicole Chuminski faces two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of 14-year-old Acia Johnson and 2-year-old Sophia Johnson. The fire was allegedly set at the West Sixth Street home after Chuminski had a lover's quarrel with the mother of the two girls, the Suffolk District Attorney's Office said in a statement.

Chuminski was arrested May 9. She was arraigned May 12 and a South Boston District Court judge ordered her held without bail. The indictments will move her case to Superior Court.

Chuminski also faces an arson charge and two counts of assault and battery related to the injuries suffered by the victims' mother and brother in the blaze, prosecutors said.

The Globe reported last month that despite being neglected by her parents and overlooked by the state, Acia Johnson was making a life for herself and her beloved baby sister, until the fire. The two girls died together in a bedroom closet seeking refuge from the flames.

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