Woman found dead at South Morang home identified as Nikkita Azzopardi

A woman found dead at her home in Melbourne’s north has been identified as Nikkita Azzopardi.

The 35-year-old was discovered by her brothers and father at the South Morang home on Monday morning, two days after she failed to show up at a family barbecue and then stopped answering phone calls and messages.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Brother describes heartbreaking moment he found sister dead in South Morang.

Her older brother Shaun Azzopardi said his father had attended the property on Sunday night to check on his daughter and while the lights were on, no one answered the door.

After multiple unsuccessful attempts to contact Nikkita by phone on Monday, Shaun drove to the house and confronted a 33-year-old man, who allegedly told them she was unwell and asleep.

“I barged in there and my father and my brother tried to look for her,” Shaun told reporters on Monday.

“I went upstairs and I went through the door and just saw my sister (dead).

“I just can’t get that image out of my head.”

Homicide detectives are still piecing together what happened but arrested the 33-year-old man who 7NEWS understands is Nikkita’s partner of about two years. The man, who is not known to police, is undergoing questioning and cooperating with police.

Victoria Police Acting Senior Sergeant Shaun O’Connell expects investigators will be on scene well into the night.

“They both spent time at this house but in relation to their living arrangements, investigations are still ongoing,” Sgt O’Connell said.

“What I can confirm is that the parties are known to each other and that we aren’t searching for anybody else in relation to this incident.”

An ongoing homicide investigation was launched. The victim’s relatives arrived at the scene on Monday afternoon and the street remains cordoned off.

‘It doesn’t feel real’

Shaun described his younger sister as a “gentle soul” who would help anyone.

“She’ll do anything for anyone ... she didn’t see the bad in people and always saw the good,” he said.

“You think it’s not going to happen to you, to your sister or your brother, but I’m not going to see my sister again. It doesn’t feel real.”

The last time he saw his sister alive was at his son’s 15th birthday which she had arranged at a go-karting venue.

“In hindsight, if you knew it was the last time, you’d be doing more, you’d be asking more, you’d be taking pictures,” he said.

“I don’t know my father’s state, my mum’s state, my brother’s state - how do you move past this, how do you get through it?”

Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.

- with AAP