Less than 24 hours after Saeed Maasarwe was contacted in China by police telling him his daughter Aiia had been killed, he was in Melbourne visiting the memorial where she was found and attending vigils across the city.

Wiping away tears surrounded by police and supporters on Friday afternoon, Mr Maasarwe welcomed news that police had made an arrest and revealed details of his ever-smiling beloved daughter.

“I had a plan to come at the end of January … to be together with her for vacation with her sister, the older sister, to be with her for two weeks or 10 days.

“We want to go to many places here in Australia,” he said.

Ms Maasarwe, 21, a Palestinian Arab of Israeli citizenship on a business scholarship at college at La Trobe University, died after a night out at The Comics Lounge in the city on Tuesday. She had caught the 86 tram home to her student accommodation, getting off at the Plenty Road stop in Bundoora and was speaking to her sister via FaceTime when she was attacked. Her body was found by passers-by on Wednesday morning.

A 20-year-old male was taken into custody in the northern suburb of Greensborough about 11.20am on Friday by local police working in partnership with homicide detectives.

After leaving Bundoora, Mr Maasarwe cut a lone figure at the La Trobe University campus, where he waited until the crowds had left to inspect the tribute to his daughter – a framed photograph surrounded by candles and flowers.

“I feel very sad from one side but from another side when I hear this support and this help from the people, from the community, from the police, this is makes the suffer feel at least a little more better,” he said.

He then made his way into the city and was among a crowd of up to 2000 Melburnians eager to pay tribute to Aiia outside Parliament House in Spring Street, many holding signs expressing their outrage and grief.

Mr Maasarwe sat on the steps holding a burning candle in the middle of mourners, dressed in black, holding yellow flowers, and speaking to those who approached him to offer their condolences and support.

“I will have this image, disaster. My worst dream. I have good dream, nice dream to be with my daughter not this situation,” he said behind reddened eyes.

“She was special girl. All the time she think positive, she happy. She can make everything even from the worst situation happy and joke. She is very friendly. She is really very, very happy.

“The smile the way she talking for everything, she looking to do everything in the best way. If it is not the best way she don’t do this way.”

Mr Maasarwe said his daughter had enjoyed living in Australia for five months but this was “the very worst” and he said he didn’t think Australia was safe.

The site where the body of Aiia Maasarwe was found is surrounded by mourners and flowers in Bundoora in Melbourne on Friday. Photo: AAP

Prime Minister Scott Morrison described the death as the “most despicable of crimes”.

“Every woman in Australia, every person in Australia, should be able to travel home in safety,” he told reporters.
Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews also expressed his sadness.

“She should have been safe here. And I am heartbroken she wasn’t,” Mr Andrews tweeted.

And Labor leader Bill Shorten said this was about “the loss of a family”.

“For me, this is about a shocking and senseless murder. For me, it’s about the loss of a family. And the idea that your child could be lost on the other side of the world makes them particularly powerless.”

“We appreciate all the people, the community here. It is really helpful, support it,” Ms Maasarwe told reporters after the silent vigil in the city, saying she’d always see the good in a bad situation.

“She enjoyed, she had a good time here but then this has come, the very worst. The most worst it can be.”

-with AAP