'Peeping Tom' Suspect May Have Gone To India

CUMMING, GA — A man accused of using his phone to record video of a woman in a Forsyth County department store dressing room has missed a court appearance and may have fled to India, officials say.

Forsyth County District Attorney Penny Penn said in an email to Patch that the lawyer for Daniel Zakkam, 39, of Duluth, told court officials that her client went back to India. He had been scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.

A bench warrant was issued for Zakkam's arrest, Penn said.

Zakkam was arrested at his home in March and charged with unlawful eavesdropping and surveillance. He is accused of using his smartphone to take video of a woman who was in a dressing room stall at Kohl's, at 3630 Peachtree Pkwy.

On March 8, the woman told the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office she was in a dressing room at Kohl's when she saw an iPhone pointed at her from above the room's dividing wall. She walked out of the dressing area and confronted a man who was in the area next to her. When she did, the man ran away, according to a Forsyth County Sheriff's Office report.

The victim was able to take a picture of the man with her phone while he was running away, according to the report. Sheriff's deputies distributed the photo via local media and social media and requested help identifying the man. Public tips led to the arrest of Zakkam, the sheriff's office said.

Penn said that Zakkam's case will remain open, but that it cannot proceed until he is arrested or turns himself in.

Photo courtesy Forsyth County Sheriff's Office