A man was shot and killed by a retired New York City correction officer inside a Brooklyn subway station at the height of the evening rush Tuesday, authorities and sources say.

Law enforcement sources said 32-year-old Gilbert Drogheo was shot in the torso by the unidentified 69-year-old retired correction officer near a stairwell inside the Borough Hall station at about 6:30 p.m.

Drogheo was taken to Brooklyn Hospital, where he died, authorities said.

The retired officer stayed on the scene after the shooting and he was not injured. No other bystanders were hurt, police say. The officer and another person who was with Drogheo are being questioned by police.

Police said a dispute that escalated into a physical confrontation led to the shooting.

Norman Seabrook, the president of the city Correction Officers' Benevolent Association, told NBC 4 New York Wednesday that they believe the retired officer was acting in self-defense. He said if the Brooklyn DA convenes a grand jury to hear evidence in the case, the union would stand behind the retired officer.

Video posted to Instagram showed subway riders being ushered out of the station amid confusion.

Witness Fatima Manuel said she first thought she head a firecracker when the gunshot rang out.

"I was scared," she said. 

Startled straphangers said firing a weapon in a crowded subway station is dangerous regardless of the justification.  

"Obviously there's ricocheting and it's usually very crowded here," said Elizabeth Brett Schneider.

"I'm shocked, this is my local subway station," she said. "I'm here every morning, every evening, and this scares me. That's really frightening." 

All subway entrances reopened by 4 a.m. Wednesday after being closed for hours Tuesday night. There were already widespread subway delays on at least a half-dozen lines Tuesday due to signal problems. 

-- Ida Siegal and Katherine Creag contributed to this report 

Los Angeles County Sheriff's detectives are seeking the public's help in identifying victims of an elder abuse scam in Southern California, authorities said Tuesday.

Margaret Souza, of Quartz Hill, and Teneca Wilson, of Los Angeles, attended a preliminary hearing Monday at Norwalk Superior Court. Souza, 48, and Wilson, 31, were held to answer charges of attempted elder abuse, attempted grand theft and conspiracy.

Both women are expected to return for arraignment in Norwalk Superior Court Department on March 23. The suspects are currently out of custody on bond.

Deputies arrested the pair in Cerritos on Jan. 22, after "they allegedly attempted to steal $20,000 from an 83-year-old woman in what is commonly known as a 'Pigeon Drop' scam," according to a statement. Deputies say Hill and Wilson met the woman in a Cerritos parking lot and asked her to withdraw cash from her bank account. The bank teller called police and both women were arrested.

Police discovered evidence in Wilson's 2010 Dodge Nitro that lead them to believe there may be other victims.

Court records show that between 2009 and 2014, Souza was convicted on three separate occasions for thefts from elders. The three felony convictions were in Los Angeles, Orange and Sacramento Counties. In 2003, Wilson was convicted of check forgery in LA County.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Richard Kent of the Cerritos Sheriff's Station at (562) 860-0044.

The California State Auditor is blaming LADWP for billing problems that have overcharged some of its customers — something the NBC4 I-Team uncovered in February.

A report released by the state’s watchdog agency Tuesday comes just days after LADWP and the City of Los Angeles announced billing errors were not the agency’s fault but that of a third-party contractor, PricewaterhouseCoopers, hired to consult on the new billing system DWP purchased.

Last week the city filed a lawsuit blaming the billing errors on an outside consultant who helped roll out the billing software.

But the Auditor’s office claims DWP officials knew about problems with the new computerized billing system years ago, but rolled out the system anyway.

The billing problem has plagued DWP since the system was first implemented. The agency has sent out incorrect bills to customers, sometimes inflated more than 300 percent.

The agency has claimed those mistakes are often generated by the new faulty billing software.

The Auditor's report released Tuesday claims otherwise, saying DWP officials knew there was a problem before it switched to the new system — a mistake that could cost the city agency more than $200 million to fix.

The complete audit is 56 pages long and details several struggles DWP has had in its implementation of the new system.

"The department's executive management was well aware of the significant problems associated with [the billing system], and yet made the questionable decision to launch the new system," the report concluded.

The DWP would not provide a representative to speak to NBC4 on camera, but the agency released a statement saying it "disagrees" with the state’s findings, still blaming the company responsible for delivering the software.

"While we agree with the auditor’s recommendations, we disagree with the basis for making them," DWP's statement said.

The full statement is available here; and the agency also released an update to its statement which it claimed clarified confusion about numbers it first presented.

If you have a tip on this story — or anything else — the I-Team wants to hear from you. Give us a call at 818-520-TIPS or email nbc4iteam@nbcuni.com.

Buyer beware! Whether you’re attending in person, or bidding online, auctions can lead to a serious case of buyer’s remorse.

Michele Clayton of Palos Verdes learned that lesson the hard way, after stumbling across a traveling auction at a local community center.

"I went for the entertainment," she told the NBC4 I-Team. "I did not go to participate."

But she admits she very quickly got caught up in the excitement of bidding.

"I purchased three rings," she said, displaying the jewelry that cost her more than $19,000. "They’re nice and sparkly, as diamonds should be."

Each ring came with documentation appraising their value. Clayton says Empire Auctioneers assured her the resale value would make them a worthy investment.

"It was an appraisal value of $80,000," she said.

Clayton took the rings to two jewelers, hoping to sell them at a profit, "and they said they’re not worth it, they’re not worth the price," she recalled.

"We hear horror stories week in and week out about that," said Don Schireson, CEO of A.N. Abell Auction, a family-run business with 100 years’ experience, making it the oldest auction house in Los Angeles.

He offered advice to auction newbies:

"For the first time buyer, we say come in and look around in an auction, don’t buy," he warned.

As for documentation that appraise the value of a purchase, "it has no relevance," Schireson continued. "It’s what you can get for it with a willing buyer, a willing seller. That’s the true worth."

In search of a refund on her diamond purchase, Clayton contacted Empire Auctioneers, and was referred to the terms of her signed sales agreement, which made the policy clear: "no refunds, no returns…merchandise sold ‘as is’."

Clayton’s next call was to the I-Team, which contacted Empire on her behalf. The company refused multiple requests to speak on camera, but did reach out to Clayton.

"They started to backpedal," she said.

Within days, Clayton received a letter from Empire Auctioneers, saying they had heard from a "source" that she was unhappy with her purchase, and promised to "gladly refund the full amount."

Clayton can’t believe her luck in getting her $19,000 back, and says she’s learned her lesson. She also offers this advice to auction novices:

“Buy it because you love it, not because you believe the value that they tell you it is.”

A.N. Abell Auction CEO Don Schireson shared these tips, which can be applied to in-person or online auctions:

• Frequent only reputable auction houses.
• How long have they been in business?
• Do they have a permanent place of business with exhibition space?
• Do they offer enough time for auction exhibitions?
• Is the auction house bonded with the state of California?
• Stay away from auctions that take place in hotels, cruise line art auctions and estate auctions held in homes. You have little recourse if something goes wrong with your purchase.
• When frequenting an auction for the first time, ask the other auction goers about the auction house.
• Preview, Preview, Preview.
• Advantage of an auction house over an online auction is that you are able to spend time inspecting the merchandise.
• Be sure to only frequent auction houses that allow plenty of time for preview. An hour or two before the auction begins is not enough.
• Ask questions of the knowledgeable staff. How old is the item? Is it in good condition? What is the auction estimate? Take measurements if needed.
• Learn the auction process.
• Register to bid. If items are for resale, bring license.
• Inquire about payment. Does the auction house take credit cards? Is there a buyer’s premium and if so, how much?
• When is payment due and when do purchases have to be removed?
• Watch before you leap.
• Spend time (a week or two) watching an ongoing auction before you buy.
• See how other buyers bid and get used to the rhythm of the auctioneer.
• Ask other auction-goers for advice.
• When it is time to bid, have a price in mind and stick with it. Don’t get carried away.

Several CIA-sponsored presentations over a two-year period reportedly described attempts at decrypting security in Apple mobile and laptop devices, according to reports.

Abstracts of the presentations were reported on The Intercept Tuesday, citing documents that were leaked by Edward Snowden, the former U.S. National Security Agency contractor who now lives in exile in the former U.S.S.R. From the reports, it seems that attempts at hacking Apple products went back as far as 2010 at an annual conference called the Trusted Computing Base Jamboree, which is sponsored by the CIA's information operations center, the Intercept reported.

The same conference continued to talk about ways to bypass security on Apple devices, according to the report.

The government has complained about increased default encryption in mobile devices and the Internet that makes "lawful electronic surveillance impossible," according to Computerworld. Instead, the FBI and others would like encryption that could be bypassed for government requests for data. However, building this "backdoor" could be leaving a security exploit open for hackers.

In short, the government seems like it's been trying to hack into Apple's system without permission. Since the government can simply request information, we don't know why it would have to break into Apple's system to procure information unless the request was denied or deemed unlawful. Apple chief Tim Cook has previously said he doesn't want a government "backdoor" through the system because he doesn't want to invite the government onto Apple's servers. It's probably a wise move, but the U.S. government could find its way there with or without permission.

A Connecticut woman nearly lost an eye and can’t turn her head after a slab of concrete from an overpass fell and smashed into her car on Interstate 95 in Westchester last week.

Myra Flores, of Stamford, was sitting in the passenger’s seat of her husband’s car and was headed north on the highway on Saturday when a chunk of concrete crumbled down and crashed through the windshield near Larchmont, New York, sending shards of glass and rock pieces into her face.

"When I was in the moment I wasn't so concerned about my face. I was more concerned about my eye because I just had so much pain," Flores says. "I could hear glass breaking and I could hear the wind coming in through the windshield. I couldn't open my eyes and I couldn't talk."

Flores, who was weeks away from graduating from nursing school at the time of the accident, had to get 15 stitches to hold her right eye shut after doctors pulled pieces of gravel and glass from it. She says she cannot turn her head without pain shooting through her body.

Flores expects to learn in a few days if her vision has been damaged. Then she will have to consider whether her planned career in nursing remains a viable one.

Though she was badly injured, and those injuries may have lasting repercussions, Flores says she is fortunate.

"As a mother, even though I was going through the situation, I was grateful that my children weren't in the car," Flores says. "I can't imagine another human being going through what I'm going through now."

Road crews worked on the scene near the accident Tuesday. NBC 4 New York has reached out to the New York State Thruway Authority for comment. 

Residents of a Park La Brea apartment building were allowed to return to their homes after police went door-to-door in search of a gunman in a home invasion robbery Tuesday afternoon.

Officers with K-9s conducted the search at Tower 48 in the 400 block of South Curson Avenue, the Los Angeles Police Department said.

Police said a man with a gun was possibly hiding out somewhere in the building. Residents were asked to shelter in place during the search

Officials said no one was taken into custody.

A resident in Tower 48 reported that an "incident" had taken place in the building about 1:40 p.m., according to an email sent to residents by Park La Brea Apartments management.

Police said they were called to the scene 5 minutes later.

Residents received a follow-up email about 7:22 p.m. from Tower 48 management informing them that the scene had been cleared.

Rookie Jordan Clarkson set a new career-high in assists and got specialized coaching from Kobe Bryant as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Detroit Pistons 95-83 on Tuesday night at Staples Center to snap a five-game losing streak.

Bryant met with the media for over 10 minutes prior to the game. He touched on several topics including his recovery and his future with the team, as Tuesday night marked Bryant's first interview with the LA media since being ruled out for the season due to a torn rotator cuff.

"I think I'm supposed to be allowed to run in a week and a half or two weeks, something like that," Bryant reported his progress. "As far as shooting, I don't know--probably a month or so."

While Bryant provided a great deal of quotes and answered a laundry list of questions, he placed his support behind the Lakers' organization and continued to say he did not plan on playing past 2015-16. However, the 36-year-old, who turns 37 before the start of the next season, refused to rule out the possibility of playing a 21st season. Bryant has been publicly consistent in these stances, so nothing new to report on that front.

Back to Tuesday's game, Bryant sat on the Lakers' bench and continued work with Clarkson during games. In the Lakers' loss on Sunday, the injured guard took a moment to provide the rookie with technical advice with his words. 

On Tuesday night, Bryant took that action a step further when he picked up a clipboard and began working with the rookie on the sideline. Related or not, Clarkson had one of the best games of his young career and set a new personal best in assists with eight.

The student has become the teacher. RT @DuranSports: Coach Kobe with rookie Jordan Clarkson. pic.twitter.com/pl4OsBi7YD

— Triple Threat (@LA_TripleThreat) March 11, 2015

"I almost got in trouble one time," Clarkson joked that Bryant's coaching made him forget he had to run the Lakers' offense.

The 22-year-old point guard stole the show in the first half and started with six points, seven assists and two rebounds before the intermission. He would end at eight assists and only one turnover for the game, but the point guard only played 10 minutes in the second half.

In a balanced outing, no Lakers' player finished with more than 13 points and all five starters scored in double figures. Clarkson likely would have earned his first career double-double, but he found himself sitting on the bench late in the game as Jeremy Lin found a good groove in the second half. In all, seven Lakers scored 10 or more points in the game.

Lin scored 12 points and passed off four assists in the second half after going into the break scoreless without attempting a single shot. In the second half, the point guard found the aggression that had been lacking early on.

For Detroit, Greg Monroe finished with 24 points and nine rebounds, while fellow big man Andre Drummond pulled down the game's only double-double with 14 points and 21 rebounds.

The Lakers moved to 17-46 on the the season, but the night would still mark the Lakers' official elimination from the playoffs due to New Orleans beating Brooklyn elsewhere. Even if the Lakers win every game for the remainder of the season, they cannot mathematically qualify for the postseason. This is the earliest elimination from the playoffs in the history of the LA Lakers.

Next, the Lakers host the New York Knicks on Thursday.

A Los Angeles County day care center was sued Tuesday by the mothers of several young children who allege that two teachers disciplined boys by pressing push pins into their legs.

The four mothers filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court against Tutor Time of Agoura Hills, alleging negligence, negligent supervision and hiring, failure to report abuse, assault and battery, breach of contract and both intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress. The suit also names teachers Rosa Nepomuseno and Jessica Morales.

The adult plaintiffs are identified only as Nicole Z., Kim M., Debbie S. and Krista L. Their children also are plaintiffs and the suit seeks unspecified damages.

A woman who answered the phone at the facility and identified herself as the manager said the center has been under new ownership since August. She declined further comment.

According to the complaint, the four mothers all enrolled children under the age of 3 at the center in 2013 and 2014.

Unknown to the women, Nepomuseno and Morales "had a custom and practice of regularly using push pins to discipline toddler boys in their classrooms," the suit states. "If a boy was deemed inattentive or failed to follow directions, these teachers would stick a push pin into the child's legs."

The pins were pressed deep enough to inflict pain and injury, according to the lawsuit.

"This practice was so commonplace at Tutor Time that the defendants had given it a name; they called it 'pica pica,'" the suit states.

A daughter of one of the mothers was "made to watch the defendants inflict this brutal punishment on her twin brother, which resulted in severe mental and emotional injuries to her," the suit states.

Tutor Time released a statement in response to the claims:

"This matter was resolved prior to the company acquiring the business last year. Previously, the school was an independently owned and operated franchise. The concern was addressed by the franchise owner in conjunction with the licensing authorities. Staffing changes were made prior to the school coming under corporate ownership last year. We are not actively involved in the suit but are monitoring the situation," the statement said.

"As child advocates, we work hard to ensure our children’s wellbeing," the statement said. "We follow strict policies and procedures to ensure that we meet state guidelines of care. We train our employees regularly and emphasize the use of our positive guidance policy for behavior management."

According to the complaint, other teachers witnessed the alleged punishment inflicted by Nepomuseno and Morales, but did not report the abuses as required by law.

The county Department of Social Services conducted an investigation and determined that serious violations occurred, the suit states.

"However, the defendants again hid this information from the parent plaintiffs," the suit states.

The failure to report delayed treatment and counseling for the children, worsening their injuries and damages, the suit states.

The written contracts the adult plaintiffs signed with the center stated that their children would be provided with "the best'' in quality childcare, that only "non-physical disciplinary techniques" would be used and that all suspected child abuse would be promptly reported, the suit states.

A Ventura man has been booked under new California revenge porn laws.

Andrew Parkin was arrested after allegedly distributing indecent images of his ex-girlfriend on the internet, Ventura County Sheriff's Department said. He faces a $1,000 fine and six months in jail. 

Previously deputies would not have been able to carry out an arrest as the images were selfies and the suspect had to be the one who took the pictures, however this was changed under the new legislation introduced three months ago.

Parkin could also face more charges, as the images were taken when the now 19-year-old alleged victim was just 15-years-old.

"I can remember taking a similar report…I had no teeth in it. I couldn't do anything... It was a horrible situation," Sgt Denise Sliva of Ventura County Sheriff's Department said, "Fortunately we (now) have this (new legislation)."

Parkin is set to be arraigned in April.

Senate Bill 255 became law in October, and made revenge porn a misdemeanor offense. If someone is caught electronically distributing nude pictures they can be charged. The images must have been posted without permission of the victim, or with the intent to harass or humiliate them.

A suspicious fire burned four trucks in a cement plant parking lot in South Gate early Wednesday.

The blaze broke out at Blue Diamond Materials on the 5600 block of Southern Avenue at around 1:23 a.m, Los Angeles County Fire Department said.

Arson investigators will be looking into the cause of the fire, which has been described as suspicious. No one was injured.

A DUI suspect crashed during a pursuit in Montebello early Wednesday.

The man smashed after into the back of a semi-trailer truck in the area of Washington Boulevard and Vail Avenue, Montebello Police said.

The pursuit started just two minutes earlier after officers tried to pull him over due to his erratic driving.

He sustained minor injuries, and was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence 

Are you ready for the Madness? Selection Sunday for the men’s NCAA basketball tournament arrives on March 15. As you ready a bracket for the office pool, here are tips for picking teams and other info you should know.

You Can't Get a Perfect Bracket, So Have Fun With It

A mathematics professor at DePaul University, Jeff Bergen, has pegged the odds of picking a perfect bracket at less than 1 in 9.2 quintillion (or 9,223,372,036,854,775,808). That's like flipping a coin and having it coming up heads 63 times in a row, he told the Chicago Tribune.

For those with knowledge of the teams, the odds increase to about 1 in 128 billion, he's said.  

If you know nothing about basketball and want to annoy your fanatic best friend, try these methods and see how far you make it.

Choose by mascot: pit the Kentucky Wildcats against the Villanova Wildcats or the Gonzaga Bulldogs verses the Butler Bulldogs. A fan of nuts? Maybe the Ohio Buckeyes should be your selection for the big win.

Choose by color: If blue is your favorite, you could have your pick of many teams. Kentucky, Duke, Villanova, Kansas, North Carolina and Butler all make the top 25 in The Associated Press rankings and have some element of blue on their uniforms. Is yellow more your style? There’s Wichita State, Maryland, Iowa State or West Virginia, to name a few.

Want a chance to win a $20,000 Best Buy gift card and a trip to the 2015 Maui Invitational? Try your hand at the ESPN Men’s Tournament Challenge. Other bracket challenges also offer big prizes, such as six-figure cash payouts and a trip to the Final Four.

Cinderella Is Ready to Ball

Upsets happen. So-called “Cinderella” teams beat out higher seeds and play further into the tournament than expected. That's why we love March Madness.

Last season, who would have thought that No. 7 UConn would cut down the nets? But the Huskies steamrolled through five teams under first-year head coach Kevin Ollie to reach the national championship. 

Little-known Mercer also made a name for itself in 2014, continuing the Atlantic Sun Conference’s firepower that Florida Gulf Coast started in 2013. Mercer earned its first NCAA Tournament automatic berth since 1985 and the 14th-seeded Bears shocked Hall of Famer Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski by beating his third-seeded Duke Blue Devils.

In 2013, FGCU put the A-Sun on a wider map when the Eagles earned their first NCAA Tournament automatic berth. Seeded 15th for the big dance, the Eagles went on to stun No. 2 Georgetown in the second round, becoming just the seventh No. 15 seed to beat a No. 2. They then became the first 15 seed to ever reach the Sweet 16 after shutting down No. 7 San Diego State in the third round.

When filling out your bracket don’t assume that seeds determine destiny. Try picking a 16 or 13 seed to go above and beyond. It happens.

Unlucky No. 16

That said, a No. 16 seed has never won a tournament game in the round of 64, according to a USA Today article. But last season No. 16 Weber State came close, falling to No. 1 Arizona by a score of 68-59.

A No. 15 seed has beaten a No. 2 seed seven times. The three most recent surprises have been FGCU over Georgetown, 78-68 (2013), Lehigh over Duke, 75-70 (2012) and Norfolk State over Missouri 86-84 (2012).

Barack-etology

According to ESPN, 9.2 percent of brackets had the same Final Four selections as President Barack Obama last year, making it the most popular combination.

Obama projected Michigan State would defeat defending champion Louisville in the title game. The Spartans lost in the regional finals, while the Cardinals failed to make the finals.

Drop in Office Productivity Can Cost Billions

Last season, the total number of live hours streamed on March Madness Live reached 15.1 million hours, according to job firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

The firm also reported that eighty-six percent of respondents to a 2012 MSN survey said they devote at least part of their workday to updating brackets, checking scores and following games. If that number holds true this March Madness, more than 119 million workers will be distracted.

But all those hours surrounding basketball fever in the office can cost companies lost wages, Challenger, Gray & Christmas reported. Between $545.2 million to $1.24 billion could be lost for each hour spent on March Madness activities, using the average hourly earning of $24.78 for private sector employees.

Will Kentucky go all the way?

Last season’s runner-up Kentucky concluded its perfect regular season at 31-0. If the Wildcats can dominate during the SEC Tournament that starts on March 13 and eventually win the national championship, they will accomplish a feat not seen since 1976, when Indiana won the title standing at 32-0.

Since 1976, seven teams with two losses have won the national championship, including Kentucky (1978, 30-2), North Carolina (1982, 32-2), Duke (1992, 34-2), UCLA (1995, 31-2), Kentucky (1996, 34-2), Connecticut (1999, 34-2) and Kentucky (2012, 38-2).

One person was killed when a house burned and partially collapsed Tuesday night in the mountain community of Big Bear.

The blaze broke out on the 500 block of Waynoka Lane at around 9:30 p.m., the Big Bear Fire Department said. There is no indication of what caused the fire, and the investigation is expected to continue throughout Wednesday.

Arson investigators determined that the structure was not stable enough for entry early Wednesday.

The remains of the victim, identified only as a male, were found in the burned debris. No other injuries were reported.

The fire destroyed one home and damaged neighboring properties.

Two people were killed after a driver ran a red light and collided with another vehicle in Riverside Wednesday, according to investigators.

The crash happened at about midnight when a Toyota Scion apparently ran a red light at the intersection of Alessandro Boulevard and Canyon Crest Drive plowing into a Chevrolet minivan, officials from the Riverside Police Department said.

Both drivers were killed, a passenger in the minivan was taken to a nearby hospital in serious condition.

It is unknown if alcohol and or speed were factors in the crash. Investigators remained on site for several hours after the fatal collision.

A tree trimmer rescued a woman who was being mauled by her pet dog in Placentia Tuesday.

The woman's pit bull bit her, and pulled her inside her house on the 700 block of East Yorba Linda Blvd, Placentia Police Department said. Her daughter ran out and screamed for help, and a nearby tree trimmer ran in with a broom and was able to get the dog off the woman.

While assisting Orange County Animal Care Officers  a police officer used a stun gun to subdue the aggressive dog.  A second aggressive pit bull at the home also was captured. 

The victim was taken to the hospital for treatment  to several severe, but non-life threatening bites to her head  face shoulder and arms.

Both dogs were transported to the Orange County Animal Care Center and are scheduled to be euthanized Wednesday.  

"It's not like I was playing too many minutes or whatever the case it may be. The shoulder injury has been there for a long long time. It's tough to gauge," Kobe Bryant sat at a podium facing the LA media for the first time since an examination revealed a torn rotator cuff. There, Bryant's season ended.

He had gone on a movie promotion tour and met with media outlets, but he had generally stayed away from the local LA media that he knew far too well. With Lakers coach Byron Scott summoning the injured superstar to all remaining home games, Bryant chose to have a chat.

So, going back for a moment, how long ago exactly did Bryant hurt his shoulder?

"Judging by the pain, I've had that same pain in my shoulder for 2001," Bryant answered the question. "It's been there for a while. I went in and had a procedure on my shoulder in 2002 and 2003, and it's been bothering me for a long long time."

According to Bryant, he believes he had a torn rotator cuff on Jan. 22, 2006. That night, Bryant scored 81 points, apparently, with a bum shoulder. While the thought may sound unreasonable at first, considering Bryant played seasons (plural) with a broken finger points to the type of mind over matter mentality the five-time champion played with for the majority of his embattled career. That type of repeated physical pressure forced the 36-year-old to finish the last three seasons of his career prematurely.

"I can play 10 minutes and hurt some other sh--," Bryant laughed at how brittle his career had become. "At this stage, all I can do is do whatever I can to be as healthy as possible. If something is going to go, it goes. Then Father Time got me. There's nothing else I can do about it."

Notoriously known for being a control freak, Bryant had not entirely given up the steering wheel. He may have accepted destiny, but he surely didn't sound like he was welcoming it. Over three seasons, he had been hit with three major unforeseen injuries. If the trend continued and a fourth one struck, his career would likely be over. The naysayers would have been right.

"It's very difficult," Bryant continued. "You start trying to gauge the importance of a Monday workout or Wednesday workout. How important is it? I could do all this stuff and then next year in one minute, it's all gone. Those are the challenges I have to struggle with mentally and not try to over think that. Just go out there and do it."

Then, Bryant repeated the mantra that served as a guide in these past few years of injury and bad luck: "Just control what you can control."

An art student living in a Southern California college community that has been grappling with a wave of violent crime has disappeared, police said Tuesday.

Sahray Astina Barber may have gone missing early Monday morning after leaving her apartment complex in the 1500 block of Northpark Boulevard in San Bernardino, officials with the San Bernardino Police Department said.

Her parents say they are desperate to see their 22-year-old daughter again.

"It’s just not like her to go off on her own like this," said Barber's father, Stephen Barber. "Sahray, we love you. We can’t wait to have you back in our arms."

About 6 a.m., Barber, an Art Institute of California – Inland Empire graphic design student, was possibly heading to a nearby bus stop on her way to school, police said. Some of her personal belongings, including a laptop and her cellphone, were found in vegetation about 30 yards away from the bus stop.

Searchers on motorcycle and horseback were searching for clues in the hills just north of Barber’s home, where she lives with two roommates, who reported her missing.

Barber’s disappearance comes on the heels of a series of violent crimes at California State University, San Bernardino, which is across the street from her apartment.

On Sunday, a female student fought of an attacker who tried to kidnap her on campus.

An attempted rape, carjacking and a strong-arm robbery also took place in the last two weeks, a school spokesman said.

Police said there's no known connection between the crimes and Barber's disappearance.

"We are concerned due to recent events in the area, however we have no concrete evidence that for sure tells us there’s any kind of foul play right now," said San Bernardino Police Lt. Richard Lawhead.

Barber’s parents said their daughter has some martial arts training.

“She would have been able to handle herself, unless she was overwhelmed,” Barber’s father said.

Police have questioned Barber’s ex-boyfriend and her roommates about her disappearance.

Investigators said they don’t have any solid leads.

“That laptop hopefully will have some evidence on it. It has been taken to the sheriff’s high-tech crime unit for analysis,” Lawhead said.

Barber was described as White, about 5-foot-8-inches tall, weighing 125 pounds. She has long red-brown straight hair and green eyes.

Anyone with information was asked to call San Bernardino police at 909-384-5623.