Three of four suspects charged in the stabbing death of a St. Catharines man in Toronto entered Canada illegally from the U.S., where at least one is wanted on an outstanding warrant, police alleged Wednesday.
Two women and two men are currently facing charges of aggravated assault in the death of Ross Hammond.
Hammond, 32, died early Saturday. He was stabbed multiple times early Thursday when he and his friend got involved in a heated exchange with four people on Queen Street near Niagara Street after being approached for money, police said.
Investigators will take their time to gather evidence and present it to Crown attorneys, who will then decide whether to upgrade the charges, Toronto police Det.-Sgt. Gary Giroux said.
It is highly unlikely that the three used passports to enter Canada, he added.
"They're here illegally and they're facing charges in Canada, so there is no kind of rush-rush-rush to lay murder charges," Giroux told CBC News. "There's a lot that goes into it and there's a lot of interviews to be done."
Two of the accused, Jeremy Woolley and Douglas Fresh, made a brief court appearance Wednesday, dressed in orange prison fatigues, before being taken back into custody.
Giroux said there is an outstanding warrant for Woolley in California, but did not give more details. He added he is confident the three will face the Canadian charges before any possibility of deportation.
Meanwhile, the Globe and Mail reported Wednesday that Sarah McDermit, one of the two women charged in connection with Hammond's death, has an extensive criminal record in California under the name of Faith Watts.
McDermit and Nicole Kish appeared briefly in court on Tuesday.
Hammond's death has sparked debate over whether the city should follow other Canadian cities and adopt a zero-tolerance approach to panhandlers, a fixture on Toronto's streets.
In 1999, the province passed the Safe Streets Act, which prohibits soliciting money in an "aggressive manner."
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