BOSTON—In their troubled South Boston home, Acia and Sophia Johnson were used to violent arguments.
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Their mother had a history of turbulent relationships, and the girls had seen police come to their home at least twice to break up fights.

Now authorities say the girls became the tragic victims in an argument their mother had with a woman she was dating.

Nicole Chuminski, 25, was arraigned Monday on murder and arson charges for allegedly setting a fire that swept through the family's rowhouse, killing Acia, 14, and Sophia, 3.

The girls, who were close in life, died together in an embrace, huddled in a third-floor attic closet

"These two young children were totally blameless, innocent little babies, who had nobody to cling to in their final moments except themselves," Suffolk District Attorney Daniel Conley said.

Their mother, Anna Reisopoulos, 34, escaped the fire, but spent more than a week in the hospital recovering from injuries. Acia's twin brother, Raymond Johnson Jr., also escaped.

Prosecutors say Reisopoulos and Chuminski had a stormy romantic relationship for about four months before the April 6 fire.

On that night, the two women had attended a wedding together in Weymouth but left separately after a loud fight that turned physical when Reisopoulos was accused of stealing the wallet of one of Chuminski's relatives. Hours later, witnesses saw Chuminski outside Reisopoulos's house, yelling and pounding on the door, Assistant District Attorney David Fredette said in court Monday.

Authorities believe Chuminski went to the house at 3 a.m., and started the fire. Conley said an accelerant found on Chuminski's clothes matched an accelerant found on the door frame of the house.

Conley would not reveal what kind of accelerant was used. Reisopoulos, in an application for a restraining order she filed against Chuminski last week, said Chuminski threw a "Molotov bomb" at her house.

In court Monday, Chuminski broke down in tears as the prosecutor outlined the charges against her. Her lawyer, William M. White Jr., said Chuminski denies setting the fire.

"She loves the girls. She said that she would never have done anything like this," White said.

"Whatever this argument was over the wallet, that was not something that would have resulted in her trying to do something harmful to Anna, and she certainly would not have done anything like that, knowing that those children were inside," he said.

Fredette, however, said Chuminski set the fire, even knowing Reisopoulos and her children were home and knowing that other people lived in adjoining rowhouses.

"These acts were not only cruel, but cowardly in the way that they were done," Fredette said.

Chuminski, who was arrested Friday, pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder and one count of arson Monday and was ordered her held on $1 million cash bail. She faces life in prison on the murder charges and up to 20 years on the arson charge.

Reisopoulos attended Chuminski's arraignment, but declined to speak to reporters.

The state Department of Social Services confirmed it has been involved with the family since March 1995, when it began investigating neglect complaints. Spokeswoman Alison Goodwin would not disclose details.

"There were a variety of interactions with this family over a series of years," Goodwin said.

In January, Chuminski called police and said Reisopoulos had hit her. But Chuminski later recanted, and prosecutors dismissed the charges last week.