A Butler husband and wife face hearings next month on shoplifting and drug charges stemming from their weekend arrests in the city.

James T. Matuke III, 25, and Tawny Matuke, 25, were both wanted on arrest warrants for allegedly stealing a bag of food from a Butler convenience store when police found them about 3:15 p.m. Friday at a home in the 300 block of West North Street, court documents said.

But when officers searched James Matuke they found 30 stamp bags of suspected heroin and three rocks of suspected crack cocaine in his pants pocket, according to a police affidavit.

Police said they turned up drug contraband, including a capped syringe and a scale, in Tawny Matuke’s purse.

The day before, police had obtained arrest warrants for the couple on charges they swiped a bag containing candy, pop and Gatorade from the A-Plus/Sunoco on West Jefferson Street on Aug. 20.

Court documents noted that James Matuke has two prior retail theft arrests; his wife has three priors.

District Judge Sue Haggerty on Friday arraigned both defendants on felony counts of retail theft and conspiracy to commit retail theft.

Additionally, James Matuke was arraigned on a felony charge of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance.

Each also is charged with a misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

Both suspects told Haggerty they are unemployed and have three children, ages 7, 5 and 18 months.

Police said the couple’s children were turned over to relatives following their arrests.

James Matuke and Tawny Matuke were placed in the Butler County Prison and released Monday after posting bail of $11,500 and $3,000, respectively.

Their preliminary hearings in both cases are Sept. 8 before District Judge Pete Shaffer.