Lake Elsinore Man Who Allegedly Gunned Down Newport Beach Urologist Suffered From Prostate Problems

A 75-year-old Lake Elsinore man has been arrested in connection with the shooting death of doctor in Newport Beach.

The slaying was reported at 2:45 p.m. Monday on the second floor of the Hoag Medical Group building at 520 Superior Ave. in Newport Beach, according to Newport Beach Police Department spokeswoman Kathy Lowe.

Newport Beach police have confirmed that Stanwood Fred Elkus of Lake Elsinore is in custody in connection with the shooting that killed Dr. Ronald Gilbert, 52.

Investigators out of the Newport Beach Police Department were on scene throughout the night at the Elkus residence located at 15691 Laguna Avenue in Lake Elsinore, and Dpty. Albert Martinez of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department said the NPPD is the lead agency on the investigation.

At the time of the shooting, a caller inside the medical office reported hearing six to seven shots, according to NPPD reports.

Officers responded to the scene, where they found both the suspect and victim still inside the office and took Elkus into custody without incident, Lowe said. "Everyone else in the building was safe. Unfortunately the victim was deceased at the scene."

The victim had been shot several times in the torso, said Lowe. No other injuries were reported.

According to an online biography, Gilbert, 53, was a married father of two teenage boys and lived in Huntington Beach. He is credited as the chief scientist behind Promescent, a spray-on product to prevent premature ejaculation. 

A graduate of UCI Medical School, he once served as chief of Hoag Hospital's urology department and as an assistant clinical professor of urology at UCI.

James Lord, 54, a neighbor who lives across the street from Elkus, said he knew the suspect well. Elkus, a retired barber, lived alone in the home and had been a resident of the area for nearly 20 years, Lord said.

"He was a nice guy who never bothered anyone," he said.

"He had some kind of prostate problem, but I don't where his doctor was located," Lord continued.

On Sunday, Lord and Elkus were together.

"He wanted to give me $10 for fixing something and he insisted I take a tool that was his. He said it was ok because he wasn't going to be alive much longer. He also asked if I would take his trash cans in Monday. Monday is trash day here. I wish I could have seen the signs," Lord said.

Elkus was known to be a gun owner and used to frequent a shooting range, Lord said.

Neighbor Rick Gower, 52, also knew Elkus as a friendly man who was often seen riding his bike to the grocery story. However, Elkus's prostate problems were often a topic of conversation.

"He talked about it a lot. He would always say, 'Don't ever get a prostate operation because it will screw your life up.'"

Gower, who watched police work the quiet Laguna Avenue home all night, said he didn't think Elkus wasn't capable of killing.

"I don't think so," he said. "No."

The crack of gunshots shocked the quiet Newport Beach neighborhood.

Nearby residents and employees of the medical office building waited outside Monday afternoon as police collected evidence.

Mike O’Neil, who lives a few blocks from the medical building, said he was startled to hear about the shooting. O’Neil said he was drawn to the scene by the unusual sight of police cars.

“It’s unbelievable that this happened here,” he said. “People aren’t safe on the streets or at work.” --Toni McAllister and Daniel Lane contributed to this report