NORTH COAST, Calif. – A woman who allegedly was involved in the hate crime assault of two black men last summer has reached a plea agreement.

Sonoma County District Attorney Jill Ravitch said defendant Vanessa Michaels, 25, of Novato, pleaded to a felony count of preventing a witness from reporting a crime and admitted an allegation that her act benefited the criminal conduct of Barbarian Brotherhood street gang members.

“This plea agreement is just, in that it takes into account the degree of this defendant’s involvement in this terrible crime,” Ravitch said. “It sends a clear message that if a person assists in a crime, even if they are not the actual perpetrator, and even if it is after the fact, they will be held accountable under the law and punished appropriately.”

The charges resulted from an assault that took place near the McDonald’s on Santa Rosa Avenue in South Santa Rosa.

On Aug. 26, 2012, at approximately 2 a.m. it is alleged that Aaron Welch of Clearlake and co-defendant Salvatore Bordessa of Windsor both wielded knives and assaulted two male victims, Ravitch said.

Welch stabbed one of the victims in the arm and leg requiring stitches to close each wound. During the assault Welch yelled racial slurs and “BBH”, the common initials of a white supremacist criminal street gang, the “Barbarian Brotherhood,”, of which Welch is a member, according to the case.

The evidence at preliminary hearing showed that Michaels took a witness’ phone, preventing the police from being called during the assault.

Michaels’ sentencing is set for May 14. It is agreed to that she will be placed on probation for three years.

Welch was sentenced to serve 15 years in prison on April 11, as Lake County News has reported.

Bordessa will be back in court on April 25 to set trial dates, Ravitch’s office said. Michaels faces up to three years in prison if she violates her probation terms.

The case is being prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Jason Riehl. Sgt. John Cregan and Detective Kyle Philp of the Santa Rosa Police Department headed the investigation.