SANTA ROSA, Calif. – Authorities have arrested a Clearlake man and another suspect for a gang-related stabbing and hate crime that occurred in Sonoma County over the summer.

Aaron Welch, 26, of Clearlake and Salvatore Bordessa, 32, of Windsor were arrested in the case, according to a Santa Rosa Police Statement.

Sonoma County Sheriff’s Office detectives and Lake County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Welch without incident at 6 a.m. Thursday after he was seen leaving a Clearlake residence, Santa Rosa Police reported.  

Welch and Bordessa were both booked into the Sonoma County Jail, with bail for each set at $1 million. Charges against them include assault with a deadly weapon, two gang enhancements, terrorist threats, dissuading a witness, and a hate crime.

On Thursday detectives from the Santa Rosa Police Department Gang Crimes Team concluded an investigation into a gang-related stabbing which occurred in August, the agency reported.

On Aug. 26 at approximately 1:30 a.m. Santa Rosa Police officers responded to an assault in the area of Santa Rosa Avenue and Yolanda Avenue, police reported.

Upon their arrival, officers located two victims of an assault, both of whom were black, police said. One of the victims had sustained multiple stab wounds in the shoulder and leg.

The suspects were described as two white male adults with several tattoos who left in a pickup truck. Santa Rosa Police said gang investigators were called out to assist in the investigation and have been looking into the assault over the last several weeks.

Detectives learned that the two victims, who are 24 and 29 years old, were in the McDonald’s parking lot at the corner of Santa Rosa Avenue and Yolanda Avenue. Police said the two male suspects and a female were across the street in a pick up truck.

The male suspects were verbally harassing subjects in the area. The suspects turned their attention to the victims and began yelling at them. The suspects called the victims racial slurs and yelled “White Pride,” and also shouted out the name of a local gang known to have ties to white supremacy beliefs, according to the police report.

The suspects attacked the victims by trying to stab them, but were unsuccessful. Police said the suspects left but returned a few minutes later, when they came through the bushes and attacked the victims with knives again.

One of the victims was stabbed in the shoulder and fell to the ground, police reported. The suspect stabbed the victim again while he was still on the ground several times in the leg area. The victim was transported to a local hospital where he was treated for non-life threatening wounds.

One of the victims attempted to call 911 and the suspects took the phone away, preventing them from calling for help. After the stabbing, the suspects fled to the pickup truck which was parked across the street and left the area, police reported.

The investigation led to the identification of two subjects, Welch and Bordessa, who are known to associate with a local gang. Santa Rosa Police reported that a search warrant and arrest warrants were issued for the men.

On Thursday morning authorities stopped Welch in a vehicle matching the description of the suspect vehicle. He was arrested and transported to the Sonoma County Jail.

At approximately 7 a.m. the same day, officers from the Santa Rosa Police Department SWAT Team and Gang Crimes Team executed a search warrant in the 9000 Block of Orion Drive in Windsor. Police said Bordessa was stopped in a vehicle leaving the residence just prior to the execution of the search warrant. He was taken into custody without incident.

In addition to the vehicle, detectives located evidence of gang association in the residence and a marijuana grow in the garage, police said.

The arrest of the suspects and evidence at the Windsor residence led to an additional search warrant 15000 block of 33rd Avenue in Clearlake. The report said additional marijuana was found at that second location.

Detectives are still trying to identify the female who was with the suspects. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Santa Rosa Police Department Gang Crimes Team at 707-543-3670.