COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—Derrick “Nicky” Johnson pleaded not guilty Wednesday to murder and arson charges stemming from an apartment fire that killed two people.
A trial date was not set but Johnson will appear in El Paso District Court again in November for hearings, prosecutor Denise Minish said.
Johnson is charged with setting a fire that destroyed 135 units in the Castle West apartments on Jan. 16 to get revenge on the mother of his child for breaking up with him. She was staying with a resident at the apartments when they burned down.
The woman and the baby survived the fire.
Defense lawyer Rick Levinson has said the fire may have been started by a meth lab in one of the units.
Johnson’s cousin, Gene Johnson, 37, is charged with being an accessory and is scheduled to stand trial in September. Prosecutors said he helped his cousin flee but was not involved in starting the fire, which killed Joe Santoyo, 52, and Clemente Perez Salgado, 32.
