Police have upgraded the charge against one of four people accused in the stabbing death of a St. Catharines man in Toronto to second-degree murder.

The two women and two men were initially charged with aggravated assault in the death of Ross Hammond, who died early Saturday.

Ross Hammond, above, was stabbed in a dispute with panhandlers. One of the people charged in his death, Nicole Kish, will be arraigned on a charge of second-degree murder on Thursday.
(CBC)

Hammond, 32, was stabbed multiple times early last 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.

Nicole Kish, 21, of Toronto, is already in custody and will appear in a Toronto court Thursday to be arraigned on the new charge, Toronto police Det.-Sgt. Gary Giroux said.

"It escalated very quickly to physical confrontation, and I'm alleging that Ms. Kish participated in the stabbing of Mr. Hammond to the point where he is now deceased," Giroux told reporters Thursday.  

The fresh charge came on the same day Hammond's funeral was to be held in St. Catharines.

Giroux would not comment on whether additional charges will be laid against the others charged in the case — Jeremy Woolley, Douglas Fresh and Sarah McDermit, who, according to police, is also known as Faith Watts.

Police have alleged Woolley, Fresh and McDermit entered Canada illegally from the U.S., where at least one of them is wanted on an outstanding warrant.

The three have been remanded to custody and are next scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 28.