"I wasn't trying to steal! That's definitely an overexsgeration, I was wrong, very wrong, but I am not a theif," don't make up worse things! He doesn't want to die!

"And sorry if they're personal, it's fine! I don't need to know, you seem like a protagonist anyway, or something close, so don't mind me, I'm a nobody, a background character here to fill in the panel, nothing more." He even backed up a few steps to stand near a shelf, look, harmless background character. No need to be anyone who would be involved in dangerous things.