The stepmother of 43-year-old Justin Kuijer, the man wanted on a Canada-wide arrest warrant for second-degree murder in the killing of seven-year-old Nathan Dumas, is pleading with him to surrender to police.
Niagara Regional Police said Dumas was found critically injured around 10:15 a.m. Friday at a home on Queeston Street in St. Catharines, Ont., and transported to hospital in critical condition.
Police said he died early Saturday morning. The cause of death has not been released.
READ MORE: Funeral set for slain Ontario boy, manhunt continues for suspect
Investigators issued the nationwide warrant Monday for Kuijer, who is also being sought on attempted murder charges in relation to a stabbing incident at a Royal Bank branch located at 211 Martindale Road on Friday in which a woman was sent to hospital.
Kuijer was last seen fleeing the bank in a dark grey 2009 Pontiac Montana van with the Ontario licence plate number BYTE392.
When asked by Global News what she would say to Kuijer if he contacted her, Carol Kuijer said she would want him “to please come turn himself in just like I want him to do and his father would have wanted him to do.”
READ MORE: Canada-wide warrant issued for Ontario man wanted in death of 7-year-old stepson
Carol was married to Justin’s father Pete, who died suddenly two years ago, and said she has not seen the 43-year-old since.
Yet prior to her late husband’s death, Carols said Justin would frequently come visit his father with his stepson Nathan and the two biological children he had with Nathan’s mother Whitney Dumas.
Carol described Nathan as a “beautiful boy” and said Kuijer treated him as though he was his own son.
“Put it this way, all I’m doing is shaking,” she said.
“I’m hoping, like I did with his father, I could wake up and I say I had a horrible nightmare — that’s my feeling.”
Police said they have now received more than 100 tips from witnesses, including a possible sighting over the past few days in Port Severn, Ont.
“We did have someone feel that they picked up a hitchhiker and gave a hitchhiker a ride and they felt that description fit Mr Kuijer’s,” said Const. Phil Gavin, adding it was an online tip that has yet to be confirmed.
Dumas will be laid to rest on Friday, while the manhunt for Kuijer continues.
An obituary posted on the Pleasantview Funeral Home & Cemetery website said Dumas was a “polite young gentleman” who “truly felt the joy of giving, never looking for anything in return.”
“Nathan was truly a kind, loving boy with a big heart, full of compassion for everyone and everything,” it read. “He was always quick to help anyone who may have been in need.”
Dumas had two other smaller siblings — a brother Austin and sister Brooklyn.
“His little brother Austin will never forget his best buddy and big brother who he looked up to immensely,” the obituary read. “Our family will make sure that Brooklyn aka ‘Rosie’ will know what an amazing big brother she had.”
A visitation for Dumas will be held at the Pleasantview Funeral Home at 2000 Merrittville Highway on March 23 from 6 to 8 p.m.
The funeral service will be held at the same location on Friday, March 24 from 12 to 2 p.m.
An online fundraising campaign launched on Saturday has since raised more than $19,000 of its $25,000 goal as of Tuesday morning.