A state Department of Land and Natural Resources enforcement officer was charged by Hawaii island police Friday with five counts of sexual assault on a minor.

Police said the victim reported Jan. 1 that she was at a beach park in Hilo when Ethan Ferguson, in uniform, allegedly approached her and sexually assaulted her.

Ferguson, 39, who lives in Hilo, was arrested Thursday and charged Friday with two counts of second-degree sexual assault and three counts of fourth-degree sexual assault.

Bail was set at $13,000. Ferguson remains in custody pending an initial court appearance scheduled for Monday.

Worker crushed by branch ID’d

An employee of the Green Energy Team biomass project who died after a branch from an albizia tree fell on him on Kauai has been identified as Mathew Tester of Kapaa.

The accident occurred at about 2 p.m. Wednesday on state land at Kalepa, where Tester, 24, was cutting invasive trees to be used as fuel at the company’s plant near Koloa. An autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death, said county spokeswoman Sarah Blane.

It was the second death in Hawaii involving a tree branch this week. Andrew A. Ankner, 29, died Monday after he was crushed by a large branch while cutting a tree in North Kohala on Hawaii island.