DALLAS • A man was arrested in connection with the theft of two emperor tamarin monkeys that were taken from the Dallas Zoo this week after being spotted near animal exhibits at the Dallas World Aquarium, police say.

Davion Irvin, 24, was booked into the Dallas County jail Thursday night, according to jail records.

Irvin faces six charges of animal cruelty in connection to the monkey case, police said. Jail records show five charges with his bail set at $25,000.

A man who identified himself as a family friend — and who was listed as Irvin’s potential relative in public records — told The Dallas Morning News that Irvin was innocent.

The man said the picture Dallas police released this week of a person they wanted to interview shows a man with a bag of chips in his hand, “not no monkeys.”