Christine Lehmann,Nicholas Lehmann Obituary, Death; – A mother and her son were killed when a fire ripped through a home in Smithtown yesterday, Suffolk County police said.
Today, Suffolk County police identified the victims as Christine Lehmann, 52, and Nicholas Lehmann, 25.
A third person, Ronald Montagna, 91, identified by neighbors as the homeowner, was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital with burns and smoke inhalation.
According to neighbors and tenants of the home, Montagna rented out rooms to help cover his finances after his wife died a few years ago.
Tenant Anthony Capasso, who had been living there for the last two years, said Montagna offered him a reduced rent in exchange for helping out with daily tasks, including taking him to doctors and making meals.
Capasso, who was not home when the fire started, said Christine Lehmann had only been renting for a few months and lived alone. Capasso said her son was visiting for the weekend.
St. James Fire officials said the fire started at 178 Fifty Acre Road South around 3:15 p.m. Sunday. It took 80 firefighters from eight departments to get the fire under control, officials said.
The Suffolk County police arson and homicide squads continue to investigate the cause of the fire this morning, but believe it was not criminal.
