Anthony Bennett, the thief who gained notoriety after being captured by a Chinatown grocer, has been arrested yet again.

The 52-year-old, who has 43 convictions, was charged Friday with five counts of theft under $5,000, according to Toronto Police Staff Sgt. David Woodley. He would not confirm reports Bennett is accused of stealing plants from Jungle Fruit, a Kensington market fruit store, earlier this spring.

The arrest came just three days after Bennett took the stand as the Crown’s star witness in the trial of David Chen, the owner of the Lucky Moose grocery store on Dundas St. W.

Chen and two store employees are facing charges of assault and forcible confinement for allegedly detaining Bennett in May 2009 after he stole flowers for a second time in a matter of hours. The men chased him down, tied him up with twine and put him in the back of a white van.

Supporters of the defendants, who plead not guilty to the charges, consider them vigilante heroes who refused to put up with petty thievery and, instead, made a citizen’s arrest. The Crown maintains the grocers used excessive force, and that Bennett had not been caught in a criminal act when the citizen’s arrest was made. According to the law, a citizen’s arrest can only be made when someone is caught red-handed.

Bennett has admitted he was stealing from Chen, but told the court earlier this week that he believed he was the victim. “I didn’t know what they were going to do with me,” he testified.

An official at the Don Jail confirmed that Bennett spent Thanksgiving weekend behind bars.

When reached by phone Monday night, Chen said he was unsure whether Bennett’s recent arrest would make any different to his own trial. When asked what he thought about the arrest, he chuckled but refused to comment.

Chen’s trial resumes Tuesday.