A disturbing lawsuit has emerged, revealing that an NYPD commander allegedly transformed his precinct into a toxic environment, targeting a female officer who spurned his crude advances. This shocking claim comes from Maria Delacruz, 33, who asserts that Capt. Amanjeet Sandhu, her superior in Transit District 1 in 2023, openly professed his feelings for her, wishing to be her lover instead of her boss, as detailed in court documents filed in Manhattan Supreme Court.
Delacruz expressed concerns about retaliation, which led her to initially remain silent regarding the sexual harassment she faced.
She shared with The Post, “I didn’t feel like there was anyone I could go to,” mentioning her 8-year-old son in an exclusive interview.
Sandhu assumed command in January 2023 and, by March, began frequently assigning Delacruz to drive him, as laid out in the lawsuit.
Throughout that year, he increasingly directed vulgar remarks at her, commenting on her body in explicit terms—everything from her “breasts” to her “buttocks” and even referring to her as a Latina with “large buttocks,” the suit claims.
According to the lawsuit, Sandhu said, “If I was your man, I would slap that ass all the time.” His behavior escalated to the point where Delacruz found herself spending entire shifts in his office or riding with him.
Whenever she tried to leave, he would comment, “That ass is huge!” reflecting a pattern of the harassment, she argues.
Additionally, the suit alleges he suggested she remove her bulletproof vest and would leer at her during conversations, even telling her about dreams of being intimate with her.
Delacruz, feeling increasingly uncomfortable, expressed her dismay by telling him, “What the f–k? Stop,” but he continued unwavering.
In one alarming incident, she opened the door to his office and found him with his pants down, wearing only white underwear and a tank top, which allowed her a clear view of his genital outline, according to the lawsuit.
On another occasion, Sandhu reportedly asked her to join him for a drive and tried to kiss her, but she firmly resisted, stating, “No, you are married. Are you crazy?” His response was to declare that he wanted her to think of him as more than a boss and implied he would leave his wife for her.
At a Christmas party in 2023, he allegedly yanked her arm, saying, “You’re coming with me tonight,” trying to convince her they should leave together, but she insisted on departing with a friend instead.
By the summer of 2024, rumors about a supposed relationship had created a hostile work environment, culminating in a confrontation with a female officer who accused her of “f—ing the captain” while she was dressed only partially in the women’s locker room.
Some of her colleagues brought these allegations to Deputy Chief Steven Mauriello, where Delacruz confronted him, demanding, “Why are you going around saying I’m sleeping with Sandhu?” He allegedly shrugged off her concerns, stating, “I’m not the only one saying that. Everyone here thinks that.”
Following an inquiry by the Internal Affairs Bureau regarding the locker room incident, she intended to disclose the harassment, but she claims Mauriello pressured her not to. She recalls him saying, “If you just keep it to what happened in the locker room, I will make sure you get transferred to wherever you want to go.”
Ultimately, Delacruz chose to keep quiet about the harassment and accepted a transfer instead. According to the lawsuit, this very decision came as she felt forced to leave TD1 instead of finding genuine protection.
After her transfer, Sandhu allegedly continued his patterns of harassment, sending her inappropriate messages, including a pornographic video via WhatsApp. The content of the video shocked Delacruz, prompting her to react with, “What the f–k?”
He also sent her messages asking about personal matters, such as her sexual habits, and even suggested he should buy her a sex toy, to which she consistently objected, stating, “Enough. Stop asking those questions. That’s my personal business.”
In late 2024, he sent her a graphic image of a woman in a sexual pose. Sandhu, who reportedly earned over $222,000 in 2025, hasn’t responded to queries concerning these allegations.
This case highlights ongoing issues of sexual harassment within the NYPD, following similar allegations against other officers. Delacruz aims for her experience to inspire other women to speak up against any abuse they face.
“I want to make sure that girls are not getting sexually harassed and feel safe to speak up,” she stated. “I would like to be that supervisor that someone could come to and actually feel comfortable enough to tell me what’s going on.”
