Police Locate Wanted High Risk Sex Offender

The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office has located a high risk sex offender who  Friday from Cordilleras Mental Health Facility in Redwood City.

Derrick Sanders, 34, was found in San Francisco after police developed leads based on tips from the community, the sheriff's office announced Saturday morning. He was taken into custody.

Around 9 a.m. Saturday someone in San Francisco's Fisherman's Wharf noticed a man panhandling near Beach and Powell streets who looked like the escaped parolee who had been in the news, according to the sheriff's office.

San Francisco police responded to the area and found Sanders and took him into custody.

He was booked at the San Francisco County Jail where was awaiting transport to the San Mateo County Jail, sheriff's officials said.

Sanders, a transient who frequents both San Mateo and Alameda counties, has a history of violence, weapons and sex offenses and currently faces a misdemeanor charge for an alleged sex offense against a minor in San Mateo County, as well as a parole violation, Schumaker said.

Sanders was discovered missing by staff at Cordilleras Center during rounds which were conducted during the early morning hours Friday.

Bay City News Service contributed to this article.