Rita Ortiz

Rita Ortiz was a character in the long running police drama series "NYPD Blue". She was played by Jacqueline Obradors.

Joining eight episodes into season 8 to replace the long-departed Diane Russell she was partnered up with Connie McDowell and the two became close friends as well as partners. During this time she had to deal with her jealous, possibly violent, and ultimately unfaithful ADA husband Don, whom she tossed out and began divorce proceedings against after she caught him in the act, but Don was later murdered by the husband of the married woman he'd been cheating on Rita with. After some time to get over Don's death, she became involved with John Clark, Jr.. Her relationship with Clark floundered and then fell apart when he pushed her away after the suicide of his father. She requested a transfer out of the 15th from Tony Rodriguez but changed her mind after she saved the Lt.'s life. Her next relationship was also within the squad, this time with Lt. Rodriguez; he had decided to leave the NYPD and they began seriously dating as he took a private sector position. It was revealed a year later that she was again single, the assumption being that the relationship had ended in the interim.

After McDowell's departure she was partnered up with Laura Murphy for the show's final season. After some initial scepticism on Ortiz's part, especially about what she perceived to be Murphy's flirting, by the end of the show they had become a good team. In the show's final episode they were the only partners to say goodnight together to their new boss, Andy Sipowicz.