Man kills Home intruder with sword

A Melbourne resident has fought back against two armed intruders, killing one with a sword he seized from his attackers, police said.

A second intruder fled with cuts to his hands and legs after the attempted armed burglary in Melbourne's south-east early today.

Police said two intruders armed with weapons including a gun, tied up and assaulted the two occupants of a home in Noble Park about 12.30am, and demanded money.

But one of the occupants, a male aged in his 30s known as Johnny, fought back and grabbed one of his attacker's weapons, police said.

"I believe the male victim used an opportunity that presented itself to obtain one of the weapons,'' police detective Stephen McIntyre told reporters at the scene.

''(He) fought his way back and during the course of that one of the home invaders was the subject of fatal injuries and died at the scene a little bit later on.''

The dead man was aged in his 20s, while police also are looking for a second intruder, in his late teens to 20s, who fled the scene.

They have appealed to the man to give himself up, or want to hear from doctors who may have treated him for cuts.

The second occupant of the house, a woman in her 20s, escaped and ran to a neighbour's property.

Next-door neighbour John Piasentia said the woman, named Brooke, ran into his house seeking refuge. She had her hands tied in front of her.

"Brooke's got away and come into our house to, you know, get refuge,'' he said.

"She was frantic. She told us she was tied up and she was trying to escape. She just came in to ask for an ambulance.

"She said she was assaulted. She was very concerned about Johnny (her partner)."

Mr Piasentia said he had lived in the street since 1969 and has seen no trouble in the neighbourhood before.

The couple have been renting the unit, one of two units on the property next to Mr Piasentia's home, for four months.

Mr Piasentia said he would do the same as his neighbour if his house was burgled. "When intruders come to your place, you try to defend yourself. I would do the same. If it happened to me I would have to do the same."

Another local resident, Joanna Kozaris, said she heard the woman in the neighbouring unit screaming "My baby, my baby" before the attackers fled.

The woman was inside the unit with her child while the commotion was going on outside.

It is believed the intruders had switched off the power to the unit before breaking in.

Det McIntyre said it was unlikely charges would be laid against the male occupant of the house.

"At this stage, we believe he was defending himself,'' Det McIntyre said.

"Obviously, we want to hear from the other person in the house.''