Doctor Shot to Death at Hoag Medical Office

A urologist was shot to death inside a medical office near Hoag Hospital on Monday, and a suspect was quickly arrested.

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

The victim was identified Tuesday as Dr. Ronald Gilbert of Huntington Beach, a 52-year-old urologist who would have celebrated his next birthday on Wednesday. The alleged shooter, Stanwood Fred Elkus, a 75-year-old barber from Lake Elsinore, reportedly shot Gilbert in an exam room.

Police said a caller inside the building reported hearing six to seven shots.

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

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

The Victim

According to an online biography, Gilbert was a married father of two teenage boys. 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.

Community in Shock

The crack of gunshots shocked the quiet 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.”

-- City News Service contributed to this report.