Two New York City police officers allegedly engaged in a secret sexual relationship inside a Manhattan precinct office, ignoring their duties to spend time together, according to a federal complaint.
Special operations Lt. Michael Disanto was reportedly involved in an inappropriate relationship with former domestic violence Sgt. Christina Ortiz, with their encounters taking place inside precinct offices, the complaint states. The allegations were filed by Lt. Emilio Rodriques with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Retaliation claims and forced psychological evaluation
Rodriques claims Ortiz frequently abandoned her responsibilities to entertain Disanto, preventing her from fulfilling her official duties.
“They would go lock up in her office anywhere maybe between 30 minutes and an hour,” Rodriques told The Post. “He would come out adjusting himself.”
The complaint further alleges that their encounters happened in Ortiz’s office as well as the office of the precinct’s commanding officer, Aneudy Castillo.
“These encounters were so blatant that physical evidence, including broken nails, was left behind, reinforcing how openly this misconduct was occurring,” the filing states.
Precinct commander accused of looking the other way
The complaint also alleges that Castillo was aware of the affair but did nothing to intervene. Instead, Castillo and Disanto allegedly referred to themselves as “the mafia” and protected each other.
“Castillo was aware of Disanto and Ortiz’s misconduct and failed to take disciplinary action because Disanto was part of the ‘family,’” Rodriques claims.
According to the complaint, Castillo openly discussed their relationship and even considered transferring Ortiz at one point.
Internal backlash and department response
Rodriques says that after he reported the misconduct, he was subjected to retaliation. Castillo, Ortiz, and Disanto allegedly labeled him as “unstable” in an attempt to discredit his claims.
Following the allegations, Rodriques was reportedly ordered to undergo a psychological evaluation and was later transferred out of the precinct.
The complaint also states that both Disanto and Ortiz are married.
A police source familiar with the situation said Castillo was unaware of any affair and suggested that Rodriques may be retaliating against the precinct commander over his transfer.
Disanto and Ortiz could not be reached for comment, and Castillo referred inquiries to the NYPD’s deputy commissioner of public information.
