Someone’s really got it in for the furniture at the Surgery Center of Oklahoma.


For years, the culprit has been slashing at cushions and arm rests at the center. But now he seems to have made a crucial mistake: His last attack was caught on tape.

Dr. Steve Lantier says the so-called “furniture slasher” started his rampage four years ago.

“We would go into our lobby or consultation rooms and see several pieces of furniture slashed and had no idea who was doing it or why,” Lantier said. “After the fifth time, we decided to put cameras in our consultation room.”

A staff member told police the suspect has caused thousands of dollars worth of damage to the center’s furniture, according to an Oklahoma City Police Department police report.

On April 16, staff at the surgery center again found sliced-up furniture in a waiting room. They checked the surveillance video, which showed “a gentleman slashing our furniture,” possibly with a carpet knife, Lantier said. They called police the next day.

The investigation is ongoing, but Lantier said they may have identified the suspect. After two local news stations showed the video footage, “someone turned him in,” he said.

“We found out he was a patient here four years ago, and he was angry about his bill,” Lantier said. “That’s when the slashings began.”

“We believe he did all of them, but we don’t have complete proof of that yet,” he said.

The Stupid Story of the Week is reported by Tracy Majka.