Mother is said to have been stabbed to death in her own home as her two children watched in horror – before the male neighbor was arrested

A mother was reportedly stabbed to death in her own home by a male neighbor as her two children watched in horror.

Homicide squad detectives are investigating the 51-year-old’s death after she was called to her home on Cousin Drive in Bayswater, in Melbourne’s east, about 11.15am on Saturday.

Detectives allege the victim’s neighbour, a 47-year-old man from Bayswater, stabbed the woman several times with a knife when she opened her front door.

She died at the front of the house before emergency services arrived, while her alleged killer was arrested outside his home.

The woman’s two children, aged 11 and 16, were in the house at the time of the alleged attack but were not injured and have already made statements about the encounter to police.

The 17-year-old son of the suspected perpetrator was also in the house and was taken to hospital with cuts on one of his hands.

It is not known how the boy suffered the injuries or whether he tried to prevent the alleged attack.

A mother was reportedly stabbed to death by a neighbor when she opened her front door as her two children watched at home, along with the son of her alleged killer.

Although the male neighbor was known to the woman, it is not believed they were in a relationship.

Detective Senior Sergeant Chris Ellway said there was little to no confrontation before the woman was allegedly stabbed to death.

“It appears the perpetrator went to the victim’s home and she opened the door, was then attacked and subsequently died from her injuries,” he said.

“It appears it is still early days at this stage but it does not appear there has been any altercation.

“It’s a tragic set of circumstances.”

The man was taken to hospital after his arrest with a “medical complaint” and has yet to be questioned or charged by detectives.

Detectives set up a crime scene at the home and arrested the woman’s male neighbor

Police cordoned off Cousin Drive between Boronia Rd and Verona Court while detectives established a crime scene around the property.

A neighbour, Glenn Rowe, told Melbourne’s Herald Sun newspaper that he heard shouting coming from the house just after 11am.

Mr Rowe said a family had just moved into the house a number of weeks ago.

“I was a bit shocked, I’ve been here 25 years and I’ve never seen anything like this,” he told the newspaper.

‘It’s a bit surreal. It’s terrible, I feel sorry for the children and the mother.’

Another neighbor, Leah Coull, told the newspaper that the incident was “frightening” as she lived with her eight-year-old son just meters away.

“It’s a scary thought that something like this could happen so close to home… it’s a very eerie feeling,” she said.