Police Arrest "Ptosis" Graffiti Tagger

Atlanta police said Friday they arrested a man they say is responsible for a string of graffiti taggings in metro Atlanta, including in Midtown and along Georgia Avenue in Summerhill.

Zachary Kahn, 21, was arrested Dec. 27 on four felony and six misdemeanor arrests.

Kahn, who, according to the police, tags under the name "ptosis," is responsible for more than 100 instances of vandalism in Fulton and DeKalb counties, including on fencing at 1491 Piedmont Avenue near Ansley Mall.

Brad Etterle, the Atlanta Police Department’s graffiti abatement officer, arrested Kahn after tying him to several acts of vandalism. That investigation linked Kahn to the tag "ptosis," a Greek word referring to the drooping or falling of the eyelid.

The Summerhill taggings were all on Georgia Avenue and Reed Street:

• 25 Georgia Ave.
• 39 Georgia Ave.
• 59 Georgia Ave.
• 60 Georgia Ave.
• 73 Georgia Ave.
• 87 Georgia Ave.
• 669 Reed St.

All of the Summerhill properties are owned by the same person, who told police he did not authorize the spray-painting and that all of the properties were painted over in December of 2011, but that they were re-tagged since then.

It's not immediately clear if the the owner or his properties were being specifically targeted.

"We are thrilled that the individual perpetrating these crimes has been caught. We would like to see him perform hundreds of hours of community service in Summerhill to include painting and trash removal," Suzanne Mitchell, president of the Organized Neighbors of Summerhill told East Atlanta Patch. "The community will partner with Waste Management to provide trash and recycle bins for his service hours."

Graffiti and tagging has been a problem all over Atlanta leading the city to form the Graffiti Task Force last year.