Vicky Van Aken was allegedly murdered in her doorway. Police believe she was protecting a young boy.

A Melbourne woman, who was allegedly killed in her doorway, is believed to have spent her final moments protecting a teenage boy.

Vicky Van Aken, 51, was allegedly stabbed to death by her neighbour Milorad Zaric, 47, at her Bayswater home on Saturday morning, police say.

Homicide squad detectives are investigating a theory that Zaric went after the teenage boy, reportedly his 17-year-old son, with a knife during an alleged violent altercation at his home on Cousin Drive, according to the Herald Sun.

Police believe the teenage boy had escaped the home and rushed to his next door neighbour's house, and that the mother-of-two's final moments were spent shielding the boy from harm, the Herald reports.

Vicky's two children also witnessed the horrific attack. The teenage boy suffered injuries to his hand in the incident and was taken to hospital.

Emergency services were called to the address in Melbourne's east at about 11:15am Saturday and arrived to find Vicky's body.

"It appears as though the [alleged] offender has gone to the victim's house and she's opened the door, and then she's been assaulted and subsequently died from her injuries," Senior Sergeant Chris Ellway said on Saturday.

Ellway said the three children were being supported by police following the attack.

Police said Vicky and Zaric were known to each other but that it was not classified as a family violence incident.

"Another woman lost at the hands of a man is just horrible," Ellway said.

Zaric was soon arrested and charged with one count of murder.

Neighbours told the Herald that they had seen Vicky trick-or-treating with her children in October for Halloween.

Watch: A Bayswater man is accused of murdering his neighbour, Vicky Van Aken. Post continues below.

On Sunday, the Melbourne Magistrates Court was told that Zaric was withdrawing from drugs and alcohol.

Magistrate Ross Betts rejected a request to extend the time for the delivery of a brief after Victoria Police said they needed extra weeks to go through the large amounts of evidence including forensic material, CCTV and drug analysis.

Zaric is remanded in custody and will face court again on February 14.

Vicky is the 83rd Australian woman lost to violence this year, according to Sherele Moody's Australian Femicide Watch.

With AAP.

Mamamia has confirmed permission to use Vicky's image.

Feature image: Sherele Moody Australian Femicide Watch.