Peoria Standard

Yesterday, Vanessa M. Walker, 45, was charged with aggravated arson after allegedly setting fire to her apartment earlier this week in Peoria, Illinois. At a detention hearing today, the court granted the State’s Petition to Detain, so Walker will remain in custody until her trial.

The incident occurred on November 3 at approximately 3:30 p.m., when the Peoria Fire and Police Departments responded to a reported fire at an apartment complex located at 202 NE Madison Avenue. Firefighters found that the blaze was contained to one apartment and extinguished it within minutes.

Investigators from both departments interviewed Walker, who rented the affected apartment. She admitted to starting the fire by lighting a piece of Styrofoam, which then spread to her couch. According to officials, Walker stated she was upset over the government shutdown.

Although firefighters were able to contain the fire to Walker’s unit, four apartments sustained damage and four residents were displaced as a result. The estimated cost of damages exceeds $100,000.

Authorities have stated that the investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Peoria Police Department at 309-673-4521.

Peoria County schools have reported several statistics for the 2022-23 school year. The average student-to-teacher ratio was 15-to-1 across its schools, with an enrollment of 27,081 students and 1,844 full-time faculty members (https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Home.aspx). Teacher absenteeism in Peoria County stood at 32.3%, slightly below Illinois' average of 35.6% (https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Home.aspx). Among local schools, Dunlap High School had the highest number of white students enrolled (873), Richwoods High School had the highest number of multiracial students (182), Lincoln School had the highest number of Hispanic students (218), and Peoria High School had the highest number of Black students (798) during that academic year (https://www.isbe.net/Pages/Home.aspx).