A Chicago teen charged with stealing a car this week told police he took the vehicle because it was too cold to wait at the bus stop, according to authorities.

Eduardo Rivera, 18, is accused of stealing a vehicle parked on the street near his home in the 2300 block of North Austin Avenue Wednesday. Police said the car was running and unlocked at the time.

Rivera was seen driving the vehicle around 10 a.m. along with two passengers in the 4800 block of West Belmont Avenue, according to police. He allegedly told officers he took the SUV because “it was too damn cold to wait at the bus stop."

Rivera was charged with possession of a stolen motor vehicle and appeared in court Thursday. It wasn't immediately clear if he had an attorney.

Wednesday marked the start of a bitter blast in the city that brought some of the coldest air of the season so far. Temperatures dipped into the teens with below-zero wind chill values before even colder temps arrived Thursday.