A 24-year-old lovelorn man has been arrested and charged for spray-painting his tag name more than 20 times over his ex-girlfriend's neighbourhood here, Press Trust of India ( PTI ) reported.

Mohamed Rasul, who goes by the graffiti name ‘Sonik’ after the famous Sega video game character, told police that he wanted his ex to see his name everyday so she would never forget him after they split.

“He wanted his name in her face. He wanted her to see his name and never be forgotten,” a police source was quoted as saying by New York Daily News .

Sonik’s tag was found spray-painted more than 20 times around Richmond Hill, mostly on Liberty Avenue, after his Nov 17 spree.

His nickname was sprayed on the walls of businesses and homes, rolled-down shutter gates and utility poles.

Police arrested Rasul on Friday.

He was charged with 18 counts of making graffiti and criminal mischief and ordered held on US$2,700 bail during his arraignment in Queens Criminal Court on Saturday.

- Bernama