BELLINGHAM - Police are looking for a handful of suspects in two unrelated assaults that left the victims with broken bones at Bellingham parties over the weekend.

In the first case, someone at a party in the 1200 block of Ellis Street threw a drink in someone's face and was thrown out of the party in the early morning hours of Saturday, Sept. 29, said Bellingham Police Sgt. Jason Mason. A scuffle then ensued in the alleyway next to a Chevron station.

One of the partygoers, a 20-year-old man, saw a friend being attacked, so he jumped into the fray, Monson said. But someone hit him in the head with a long piece of lumber, possibly a two-by-four.

The injured man was taken to St. Joseph hospital minutes after midnight. His skull and jaw were fractured, Monson said.

Witnesses described the man who hit him as a 5-foot-10 to 6-foot-tall white man weighing 160 to 180 pounds. The suspect wore a white T-shirt and had short brown hair.

In the second attack, a 21-year-old man was leaving a party about 1 a.m. Saturday in the 1200 block of North Garden Street. As he stepped out the door, two white men and one black man started talking with him. They got into an argument about politics that turned into a fight.

The man was knocked to the ground, and possibly knocked unconscious - he couldn't recall when police interviewed him later at the hospital. He could not give a clear description of the three men who attacked him, Monson said.

The victim had swelling to his face, consistent with an assault, and suffered a broken leg.

In both cases, police interviewed the victims several hours later. It's not clear if either victim had been drinking, but Monson noted the 20-year-old was not cited for minor in possession of alcohol.

It doesn't appear that the two assaults are related. No further description of any suspect was available.

Anyone with tips should call the Bellingham Police Department at 360-778-8800. After hours, call 911.

Reach CALEB HUTTON at caleb.hutton@bellinghamherald.com or call 715-2276.