A Christmas day attack on a proselytizing Jehovah's Witness was not prompted by her faith, police said Wednesday.
Police attributed no motive to the attack, in which Cathy Infusino, 51, allegedly assaulted the 52-year-old evangelist upon opening the front door of her San Bruno apartment.
The victim was grabbed and dragged into the apartment before wrestling away and calling authorities from a neighbor's residence, said Lt. Marc Catalano of the San Bruno Police Department.
Police said Infusino was wielding a butcher knife.
Infusino pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a count of assault with a deadly weapon.
The victim hadn't had the time to introduce herself as a Jehovah's Witness or explain her intentions before she was attacked, Catalano said. For that reason, Infusino wasn't charged with a hate crime.
``There was no introduction,'' Catalano said. ``The victim knocked on the door and'' Infusino ``immediately assaulted her.''
The victim suffered only a minor cut on her hand, which didn't require medical attention, Catalano said.
Infusino, who has a court-appointed attorney, told police the woman was a burglar who was trying to break into her house with a stolen key. But Catalano said police don't buy that explanation.
Earlier this year, Infusino pleaded no contest to a drug possession charge, for which she was placed into a diversion program in August, according to San Mateo County Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.
Evangelism is an integral element of faith for Jehovah's Witnesses. Members spend as much as 80 hours a month knocking on doors, said Bob Quintana, 73, a Mountain View resident and 30-year member of the faith, which draws on the Bible as its spiritual text.
Although slammed doors and brusque goodbyes are not uncommon, Quintana said he had never heard of such a violent attack.
But Quintana said the attack was unlikely to change members' evangelical habits.
``Most people are nice,'' Quintana said. ``But there are times when doors are slammed in our faces. We don't take it personally. They're not yelling at us. They're yelling at the message.''