‘Dear Mark Zuckerberg… I am ready to die for you.’

Mark Zuckerberg has arrived. One stint on Saturday Night Live and Zuckerberg has acquired himself a stalker. The Facebook founder recently obtained a restraining order against 31-year-old Pradeep Manukonda, who has allegedly been sending Zuckerberg disturbing messages on Facebook.

It appears the 31-year-old has taken “FaceStalking” to an offline level. According to US-based celebrity news site,TMZ, the stalker sent messages to Zuckerberg’s sister (and Facebook spokeswoman) Randi Zuckerbergas well. The message pleaded with the Zuckerbergs about running out of time. In a message directed to Mark Zuckerberg, the 31-year-old stalker writes, “please help me, then I am ready to die for you… Please understand my pain.”

Facebook security apparently intercepted Pradeep at the self-made billionaire’s home on January 24, just as he was about to walk up the front steps. Zuckerberg filed for a restraining order claiming Manukonda has tried to “follow, surveil and contact Zuckerberg using language threatening his personal safety”.

Palo Alto police supposedly gave Pradeep a verbal warning which seems to have fallen on deaf ears as Zuckerberg claims the 31-year-old continued to try to contact him through the mail, before sending flowers to his home.

Manukonda has since apologised and said that he will leave Zuckerberg alone. Manukonda said that he had been dealing with a personal problem and he believed that Zuckerberg could help him. The problem, he said, was not computer related.

“I’m a peaceful guy … I’m sorry he thought I was trying to harm him,” Manukonda told TMZ. “I understand he’s a busy man … I’ll respect his privacy.”

Manukonda claims he was only trying to reach the Facebook CEO in attempt to help his dying mother. According to TMZ, the 31-year-old depicts himself in a hand-written letter to Zuckerberg as “a son to my mother who has become helpless in supporting his kin.”

Zuckerberg’s profile has been raised in the past year thanks to the growing influence of Facebook. He was named Time magazine’s Person of the Year at the end of 2010, and saw the release of the semi-fictionalized Facebook biography film “The Social Network,” which has been nominated for eight Academy Awards.