Peoria Standard

On August 28, 2025, authorities in Peoria, Illinois charged Kayana M. Polk, 21, with Aggravated Domestic Battery after she allegedly ran over her boyfriend with a car. Prosecutors have filed a petition to detain Polk, and a judge is scheduled to hear the request tomorrow.

Police responded at approximately 9:45 p.m. on August 26 to a reported hit-and-run in the 800 block of E. Frye in the East Bluff neighborhood. Officers found the victim lying face down on the sidewalk with blood around him. He was transported to a hospital where he underwent surgery for a broken pelvis.

A witness waiting for a bus told police that they saw a car pull over nearby and observed the victim exit and argue with someone inside the vehicle. As the victim walked away through a parking lot, the car followed and struck him. The witness said that a woman, later identified as Polk, got out of the car and continued yelling at the victim before returning to her vehicle and leaving.

Officers located the suspect vehicle later that night and took Polk into custody. During an interview with police, she admitted to hitting her boyfriend with her car and then fleeing the scene.

"This investigation is ongoing, and more charges may be filed. If you have information regarding this incident, please contact the Peoria Police Department at 309-673-4521," according to authorities.

In other local matters related to education in Peoria County, recent data show that Dunlap High School had the highest enrollment of white students during the 2022-23 school year with 873 students (https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Home.aspx). Richwoods High School recorded the highest number of multiracial students at 182 (https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Home.aspx), while Lincoln School had 218 Hispanic students enrolled—the highest among county schools (https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Home.aspx). Peoria High School led in Black student enrollment with 798 students (https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Home.aspx).

The average student-to-teacher ratio across Peoria County schools was reported as 15-to-1 during that same academic year (https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Home.aspx), with teacher absenteeism rates lower than state averages at 32.3% compared to Illinois' overall rate of 35.6% (https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Home.aspx).