This little guy isn't a beetle (sorry Mark) but a member of Hemiptera probably subsorder Heteroptera family Coreidae
Sorry, i was using the term ignorantly, my core knowledge of insects starts with "aphids bad" and ends with "ladybugs good".
at first, i focused my search on the spots, then i went back to the pictures and noticed the hind legs and there shape, that then pointed to a "leaf footed" term and i found scores of pictures.
with your input Dan, i have been able to better narrow down search criteria, still i am sure i have viewed a few thousand pictures by now. the heteroptera family all seem to have that distinctive heart shape marking, then spotting on the sides of the lower abdomen.
with the pictured species, it is hard to tell if the antennae is sectionalized, even the thorax and abdomen appear so streamlined that they are one and the shouldering of the upper abdomen spotting and verticle spotting on the central/lower abdomen. i do like its yellow markings on the antennae and the outlining of yellow around the abdomen.
...oh, and hittman, kill it or toss it into an ex-girlfriends yard.... i did notice in pic 1 the chomping of leaf, this guy might be guilty by association but heteroptera are mainly leaf eaters.
here is a link showing we are getting closer to identify the little buggar, at least the markings are somewhat similar in pattern layout.
http://bugguide.net/node/view/43427