Pakenham woman, 19, dead after row between youths at CBD short-stay
Police say a dispute between two groups of youths at a notoriously unruly short-stay rental apartment tower in Melbourne's CBD has led to the death of a teenage woman in an apparent stabbing.
The 19-year-old victim from Pakenham was treated by paramedics but died at the scene from her injuries about 5.15am on Saturday. A Coroner's van arrived on Saturday afternoon as police remained at the scene.
Twelve youths are assisting police with their enquiries.
Police said a group of youths was inside the short stay rental apartment at the EQ Tower on A'Beckett Street overnight when a second group of youths arrived.
Police do not know if the second group was invited, or if they forced their way into the 56th floor of the building where the assault took place.
"A dispute of some nature has occurred, resulting in the victim ... being assaulted," Victoria Police commander Tim Hansen told media on Saturday afternoon.
"A number of persons [from the second group] immediately left that party," he said.
The suspected attacker remains on the run.
Homicide detectives were at the scene on Saturday afternoon removing evidence as forensic experts scoured nearby Anthony Street for clues.
Residents in that street heard loud shouting around 4am and 5am, as did residents from the EQ Tower.
'This isn't a random attack'
Police are confident of finding the attacker. The 12 youths assisting with the investigation are from the first group that was already in the apartment when the second group arrived.
"This, as I understand it, isn't a random attack," Mr Hansen said.
"Whilst this will bring a level of apprehension to members across our community there is some connection between these groups.
'Chaotic scene'
"Police have arrived to what I am advised was a fairly chaotic scene. There was an [unknown] number of people out the front. It would be fair to say they were quite upset and emotive. However, the police members were never threatened or challenged."
Police believe the groups were known to each other but would not say whether the dispute was pre-existing. Mr Hansen said the victim's family and community were being provided support.
Asked which community the victim and groups of youths came from, he said: "The victim is of African-Australian heritage, and all the persons at the apartment as I am advised were of African-Australian heritage."
Residents scared by rowdy parties
Earlier, residents at the year-old apartment tower said loud parties were a common occurrence. A real estate agent who works with properties at the tower said it was made up of about 75 per cent owner-occupiers and 25 per cent short-term rentals, but some residents said the short-term rental percentage was higher.
Sean and his young family have lived in the building since it opened. He described the young woman's death as a "tragedy".
He said residents had been concerned and scared for many months by a series of rowdy parties in the tower's short-term rentals.
"As residents we feel intimidated," Sean said. “What we are seeing increasingly is these parties of youths getting out of control.
"They seem to come and go at short notice and many of them are intoxicated ... as residents we feel intimated that we are unable to ask them to keep the noise down or act in an appropriate fashion.
“This is our home, this is where we live.”
Sean said he and his fellow residents had raised concerns with body corporate but nothing could be done under the law to stop the short-term rentals.
Anthony Street remained closed into Saturday afternoon while a lift in the lobby was also sealed with police tape. A'Beckett Street was reopened at 10:30am.