Two teenagers have been charged with murder following the fatal stabbing of the mother of one of the boys inside her Melbourne home.

Police allege the pair, aged 14 and 15, fled the bloodied bedroom, took their 41-year-old victim’s white Toyota RAV4, and crashed it.

Police at the scene of the stabbing on Friday.Credit: Erin Pearson

Police believe the two teenagers then drove around St Kilda and Elwood where they allegedly met a friend who supplied them with camping gear and food.

The vehicle was later discovered dumped in a quiet St Kilda street.

Multiple sources with knowledge of the investigation, who didn’t want to speak publicly because of the sensitivity of the incident, told The Age that the boys allegedly met a teenage friend in Elwood, who handed over the supplies as they shared their plans to travel to western Victoria.

The friend reported the unusual interaction to their parents and police were alerted. Police are now investigating whether the killing and their escape were planned.

The scene of the alleged crime.Credit: Erin Pearson

Homicide detectives are also working to determine how the two year 9 school friends, who cannot be named for legal reasons, allegedly made their way from Melbourne’s inner suburbs to Learmonth, near Ballarat.

Following an internal police alert to help find them, a lone regional police officer noticed the pair on the side of the road.

They were arrested 15 hours and 130 kilometres from where they allegedly fatally stabbed the woman in her apartment.

The teens were found with some food and basic camping supplies, and at least one was dressed in camouflage clothing.

The internal police alert said officers believed they were attempting to make their way to Ararat.

Emergency services were initially called to a crime scene in an inner Melbourne suburb after reports the woman had been stabbed multiple times inside an apartment about 11pm on Wednesday.

The woman’s 13-year-old son — the brother of the 15-year-old — was home at the time. He escaped physical injury and ran to a nearby house to raise the alarm.

The mother, who had worked as a police dispatcher at the Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority, died in hospital.

ESTA chief executive Stephen Leane said on Friday she would be remembered as a highly respected and valued member of the team and her heartbreaking death was being felt across the organisation.

He said the woman joined ESTA in 2012, working as a police and SES call-taker before moving to fire call-taking. She most recently held a position as a police dispatcher and workplace trainer.

Officers carrying bags of evidence, and a budgie, from the apartment.Credit: Erin Pearson

“[She] provided so much to our organisation and the Victorian community through her service,” Leane said.

“We are in shock and deeply saddened and our thoughts and sympathies continue to be with her family, friends and colleagues.”

Detectives returned to the crime scene on Friday, where they removed bags of evidence and secured the home. A yellow budgerigar was also taken away.

Late on Friday, police said the two teenagers had each been charged with one count of murder and were expected to face a Children’s Court hearing.

Earlier, detectives revealed they were investigating a theory that the boys left the crime scene in the victim’s RAV4, travelling through St Kilda and Elwood where a witness reported seeing the vehicle with damage to the front and back.

The car was found dumped in Havelock Street about 7.30am on Thursday.

A second possible crime scene is also being investigated after blood was found on a footpath near the intersection of Fitzroy Street and The Esplanade. Police were seen collecting items from the area.

When asked on Friday about the fatal attack and whether he was concerned about knife crime more generally, Premier Daniel Andrews said he was yet to receive a request from Victoria Police’s chief commissioner for extra resources or changes to the law.

“I’ve had a few police commissioners during my time; whenever they asked for something, the answer has been, ‘yes’,” Andrews said.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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