Faculty member pleads not guilty in Kamehameha sex assault case

A 23-year-old Kamehameha Schools faculty member pleaded not guilty in Circuit Court on Thursday to multiple counts of sexual assault involving a high school student.

James Maeda, assistant band director at the Kapalama campus, appeared at his arraignment before Judge Colette Garibaldi after an Oahu grand jury returned an indictment Feb. 22 charging him with 10 counts of first-degree sexual assault and one count of third-degree sexual assault.

His attorney, Richard Sing, pleaded not guilty to all counts on his behalf.

Maeda’s trial is set for April. He remains free after posting $450,000 bail.

The sexual assaults allegedly occurred on four occasions between June 9 and Feb. 14.

The teen’s mother had discovered sex-related text messages on her cellphone when the teen disclosed her relationship with Maeda, according to prosecutors.

Body found in Wailuku River identified as missing nurse

Hawaii island police have confirmed the identity of a body that was found Sunday in the Wailuku River in Hilo as 28-year-old Kelly Mro­winski of Chicago.

Mrowinski and a male co-worker were hiking above Piihonua Falls on Jan. 26 when an apparent flash flood swept them into the river. The male was able to swim to the riverbank, but Mrowinski was missing. Crews conducted an extensive aerial and land search in the following days but could not locate her. The search continued in late January and early February.

Mrowinski was working as a traveling nurse at Hilo Medical Center.

The medical examiner who performed the autopsy concluded the cause of death was “freshwater drowning” and ruled the death as accidental.

Man in critical condition after driving into Ewa Beach fence

A 67-year-old male is in critical condition after the vehicle he was driving collided into a fence in Ewa Beach at about 10:30 a.m. Thursday.

The accident occurred at 91-520 Kaakina St.

Paramedics from Emergency Medical Services treated the man at the scene and transported him in critical condition to a hospital.